The Challenge of Producing Joint Fields

The issue of producing shared or joint fields that straddle borders between Iraq and its neighbors is not new. It’s actually several decades old. The first example was the case of Naft Khana and Naft Shah oil fields, the names are for the parts of a single anticlinal structure extending across the border between Iraq and Iran. Many other examples are present such as the Dahlaran-North Abu Ghirab and Fauqa…

Unitization Dilemma

As Iraq and Kuwait forge ahead with their political rapprochement and the demarcation of their international boundaries, a major milestone will be achieved once an agreement is reached on the joint oil fields that straddle the border between the two states. That’s where Iraq needs all its resources to settle the issue in a manner that preserves its sovereignty and safeguards its interests in a way that does not lead…

Anatomy of a Deal

(Mr Asri Mousa was one of the main Iraqi negotiators of the south gas utilization project with Royal Dutch Shell and Mitsubishi Corp between 2008 and 2011) Iraq has been, since 2008, negotiating with Royal Dutch Shell to establish a joint gas company to capture flared gas from three giant oil fields in the province of Basra. The joint venture is based on a proposal by Iraq to create a…