30 April 2003 A senior US official from the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) made a first visit to the Iraqi oil ministry in Baghdad on Tuesday, delivering instructions from ORHA chief Jay Garner that the status quo be preserved at the ministry for the time being. In the first meeting since the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime and the occupation of Iraq by US forces, ORHA senior…
Tag: USACE
Iraq’s Baiji Refinery Sits Idle, Awaiting Power, Repair Work
29 April 2003 Iraq’s Baiji refinery — the biggest and newest of the country’s three main refineries — is being protected by members of the nearby Qaissi tribe. For the 5,000 workers at the Baiji refinery, 200 kilometers north of Baghdad, the first real contacts with US soldiers have yet to come. Hundreds of US army trucks can been seen moving north on the road from Baghdad to Mosul, but…
In Kirkuk, Oil Firm Struggles Back to Feet
24 April 2003 Until two weeks ago, Iraq’s North Oil Co. (NOC) was responsible for production capacity of more than 1 million barrels per day, centering on the giant Kirkuk oil field. Output came to an abrupt halt two weeks ago, when northern Iraq fell to US-led forces. And now, NOC appears to have been battered almost out of existence: Its headquarters are destroyed, its data is lost, and equipment…
Iraqi Officials Take Initiative Restarting Oil
23 April 2003 The first Iraqi oil production since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime is set to restart next week from the northern Kirkuk complex, but would be limited to supplying the domestic market in terms of crude for refineries and natural gas for power stations, according to a senior Iraqi official. The plans show Iraqi officials taking the initiative on this and other aspects of the war-damaged oil…