Anglo-Turkish Genel Energy Increasing Presence in Northern Iraq

- Anglo-Turkish Genel Energy Increasing Presence in Northern Iraq

Tuesday, September 13, 2011
OilPrice.com
by Charles Kennedy

Anglo-Turkish Genel Energy, soon to be led by former BP CEO Tony Hayward, is seeking to expand its presence in northern Iraq.

Genel Energy, owned by Turkish businessman Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, is seeking a major role in the development of the vast reserves of oil in the Kurdish autonomous region of northern Iraq.

Speaking to Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper Hayward said, "The only approval we need is from the Kurdistan Regional Government, and we expect that approval to come before the end of September. All of the indications in Kurdistan show that things are only going to get better. I think this is a good time to invest in the region."

Hayward also expressed his belief that a "pragmatic realism" now dominated relations between the Kurdish regional government and Baghdad, adding that eventually, the Kurdish region will have "a significant say" in what is going to be finally approved in Iraq's expected hydrocarbons law noting, "This means (a company) can invest. "(The two governments) have agreed to revenue-sharing mechanisms. Payments are being received and I think all indicators show that things are only going to get better. There will be some bumps in the road, but the train and its direction are clear."

(Charles Kennedy is Deputy Editor of OilPrice.com. The original article appears here.)

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too
LINK

Iraq Energy Panel Approves Gas Deal - Oil Minister

- Iraq Energy Panel Approves Gas Deal - Oil Minister

Monday, September 12, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
AMMAN
by Hassan Hafidh

A top Iraqi government energy committee has approved a deal with Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) to capture and exploit gas from its giant southern oil fields, the country's oil minister said Sunday.

The Iraqi oil ministry struck a deal in July with Shell and Japan's Mitsubishi Corp. (8058.TO, MSBHY) to develop gas production in southern Iraq. To become valid the deal needs approval from the Baghdad government.

"It was agreed upon by the energy committee and was sent to the cabinet for approval," Abdul Kareem Luaiby told Dow Jones Newswires on the sidelines of an Iraqi energy meeting in Amman, Jordan.

The committee is chaired by the deputy prime minister for energy affairs, Hussein al-Shahristani, and its members include the ministers of oil, electricity and finance.

Luaiby declined to say when exactly the cabinet would approve the deal. The agreement must first be examined by the cabinet's legal and specialized offices, he said.

The 25-year venture calls for an investment of $17.2 billion to create the Basra Gas Company. Baghdad would have a 51% stake, Shell 44% and Mitsubishi 5%.

Some $12.8 billion would be spent on infrastructure and $4.4 billion on construction of a liquefied-natural-gas facility.

Under the agreement, the company must first meet local demand but can export any gas not used by Iraq's fuel-starved power plants. The planned LNG terminal would handle the export of 600 million cubic feet a day.

Baghdad would contribute $5.236 billion to the venture, including some $1.524 billion in existing infrastructure. Shell and Mitsubishi need to contribute nearly $7 billion, and the remaining money will be financed through the venture's returns, according to the summary submitted by Iraq's oil ministry to the country's parliament.

The venture would process associated gas produced from three supergiant Iraqi fields--Rumaila, West Qurna phase 1 and Zubair--all in Basra governorate.

"We are committed to supply the venture with 1.6 billion cubic feet a day from these fields," Luaiby said.

The joint venture would sell produced gas to Iraq's state-owned South Gas Company, at international standard pricing.

Iraq estimates it should make around $31.1 billion over the 25 years of the project from taxes, fees and raw gas sales to the joint venture, the document said.

An Iraqi oil expert, who asked not to be named, however, said Iraq would make nearly $100 billion from the venture because the gas would substitute for the oil currently used to fuel Iraq's power stations.

Iraq would tax Shell and Mitsubishi profits at 35%, he said. The expert said Shell and Mitsubishi will make a 7% profit on the whole venture.

Iraq has natural-gas reserves totaling 112.6 trillion cubic feet, the 10th largest in the world. But it produces only around 1.5 billion cubic feet a day, because of a lack of infrastructure.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too
LINK

Iraq Oil Ministry: Shell, Iraq Gas JV to Produce 2 Bcfpd

- Iraq Oil Ministry: Shell, Iraq Gas JV to Produce 2 Bcfpd

Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
AMMAN
by Hassan Hafidh

Iraq's gas deal with Shell to capture and exploit associated gas from its giant southern oil fields is expected to produce two billion cubic feet a day, according to an official agreement summary obtained by Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.

The Iraqi oil ministry signed in July a final draft deal with Shell and Japan's Mitsubishi to develop gas production in southern Iraq. However, in order to become valid the deal still needs approval from the Baghdad government.

The two sides disclosed few details about the agreement when they signed it in July.

The investment required for the 25-year venture--in which Baghdad has 51%, Shell 44% and Mitsubishi 5%--is $17.2 billion instead of the previously announced $12 billion, the document said.

It said some $12.8 billion would be spent on rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and building new ones, while an additional $4.4 billion is required for an liquefied natural gas facility to be built by Shell and Mitsubishi.

The joint venture, called the Basra Gas Company, or BGC, initially would deliver gas to Iraq's domestic market to fuel-starved Iraqi power plants, but would then export the extra gas after meeting local need. The planned LNG terminal would handle the export of 600 million cubic feet a day.

Baghdad needs to contribute $5.236 billion in the venture, some $1.524 billion of which is existing infrastructure. While Shell and Mitsubishi need to contribute nearly $7 billion, and the remaining money will be financed through the venture's returns, according to the summary submitted by Iraq's oil ministry to the country's parliament.

Shell and Mitsubishi are also offering an optional loan of $1 billion to the Iraqi side in the venture, it added.

The joint venture would sell produced gas to Iraq's state South Gas Company, or SGC, at international standard pricing. The crude and gas linked pricing formula in the agreement summary implies that, at Brent price of $75 a barrel, the BGC joint venture would get $3.22 per million British thermal units of dry gas sold to SGC.

But the SGC would have to sell the gas it buys back from the joint venture at just $1.04/mmbtu to Iraqi power plants and industry, meaning the SGC would pay huge subsidies, which would further increase if world's gas prices rise.

Iraq estimates, however, it should still make around $31.1 billion over the 25 years of the project from taxes, fees and the raw gas sales to the joint venture, the document said.

The BGC would use Shell technology to gather and process gas from the giant southern oil fields of Rumaila, West Qurna Phase 1 and Zubair.

Iraq, which has natural gas reserves totaling 112.6 trillion cubic feet, the tenth largest in the world, produces only around 1.5 billion cubic feet a day, with half of that amount is being flared daily, because of lack of infrastructure to produce and market the gas.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too
LINK

Iraq Oil Ministry Qualifies 41 International Firms for New Bid Round

- Iraq Oil Ministry Qualifies 41 International Firms for New Bid Round

Monday, August 08, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
AMMAN
by Hassan Hafidh

The Iraqi oil ministry has qualified some 41 international companies to compete for 12 exploration blocks in the next bidding round which is scheduled to be held in January, the ministry said in statement Monday.

Iraq, which sits on the world's third largest oil reserves, has estimated that the new blocks would add some 10 billion barrels of oil to Iraq's current reserves of 143 billion barrels, and some 29 trillion cubic feet of gas to its current reserves of 112.6 trillion cubic feet.

Among the companies qualified by the ministry for the licensing auction are some of the world's oil majors such as BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Lukoil, Total, China National Petroleum Corp., or CNPC, Eni, Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) and Chevron.

The list also includes nine Japanese firms. They are, among others, INPEX, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., or JOGMEC, Mitsui Oil Exploration Co. Ltd, JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corp., or JX-NOEX, Itochu, Mitsubishi, and Japan Petroleum exploration Co. Ltd, known as Japex.

Two Arab companies are listed by the ministry. They are Mubadala Oil & Gas of the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait Energy of Kuwait.

The ministry said the chosen companies are among 50 firms who submitted applications and documents to take part in the bidding round, scheduled to be held in January next year.

Many of the listed companies have won deals to upgrade Iraq's vast oil and gas fields. Baghdad has held three bidding rounds in the past two years to auction off 15 of the country's most prized oil and gas fields.

Three of the announced blocks are located in the western Anbar province while two others are shared by the Anbar, Nineveh and Najaf governorates. The sixth is in Nineveh governorate in northern Iraq. These six are believed to contain gas resources, oil ministry officials said.

The remaining five blocks, believed to contain crude oil resources, are located in other governorates including Basra, Dhi Qar (Nassiriyah), Muthanna (Samawa), Babil, Najaf, Wasit and Diyala provinces, the officials said.

The size of the blocks range from 5,500 square kilometers to 9,000 square kilometers, they added.

Iraq needs to boost gas production and build more gas-fired power plants to increase its power output, currently at 6,500 megawatts, which represent less than half the country's needs.

Although international companies would prefer production-sharing contracts for exploration blocks, Iraqi oil officials said the deals would be based on a service contract, which means winning companies will be paid a flat fee for their services rather than be given a share in the resources. But it would be slightly different from the 20-year service contract offered in the previous three bidding rounds, they said.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too
LINK

Analysis: Iraq Faces Challenges in Growing Oil Production

- Analysis: Iraq Faces Challenges in Growing Oil Production

Friday, July 29, 2011
Rigzone Staff
by Karen Boman

Iraq's large oil-production potential could allow it to compete for leadership with Saudi Arabia in the coming decades, but a new energy study by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy finds that in the near term, both Baghdad and Riyadh may have difficulty meeting rising demand for oil.

The study, "Iraqi Oil Potential and Implications for Global Oil Markets and OPEC Politics," argues that ambitious targets set by the government of Iraq may not be reachable in the short-to-intermediate term while international oil companies operating in southern Iraq continue to experience infrastructure development problems.

Iraq has the potential to increase production from 2.5 million b/d in 2010 to over 5 million b/d in the next five to 10 years. The country has expressed the ambition to reach 10 to 12 million b/d of production by 2017, but this lofty target will be difficult, given mounting political, bureaucratic and infrastructure related barriers.

"Political decentralization inside Iraq, social tensions and electricity shortages remain barriers to large-scale repair and construction of infrastructure that is needed before export levels can rise," said author Amy Myers Jaffe, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute. "Failure to progress quickly on water injection, pipeline, electricity and natural gas facilities will limit the ability of independent oil companies to translate upstream oil-field expansion successes into continued export increases."

The return of international oil companies to Iraq has raised the prospect that Baghdad's oil production will indeed be increasing in the coming years. Iraq is expected to see a 200,000 b/d increase in output in 2011, with output expansions already achieved at the Rumaila, Zubair, West Qurna-1 and Majnoon fields. As of spring 2011, Iraq's southern oil fields were producing a total of 1.986 million b/d and total production was pegged at around 2.7 million b/d. Iraq's June 2011 output was 2.56 million b/d, of which 2.27 million b/d were exported.

However, foreign oil company officials say that, while output gains are easily achievable based on field performance and geology, infrastructure bottlenecks might make future increases harder to accomplish. "The end result may be that ambitious targets set by the government of Iraq may not be reached in the short to intermediate term, delaying the time when OPEC will have to address rising Iraqi output," the study found.

While these operational and logistical factors will play a large role in whether Iraq reaches its energy potential, political factors will be equally important, the study concludes. The resolution or management of several political issues – including ongoing challenges to political stability, difficult power-sharing arrangements at the national level between political parties and growing pressures for provincial empowerment – is essential to the smooth development of Iraq's energy potential.

Iraq's logistical and political challenges come at the same time that the costs for Saudi Arabia to continue to expand and maintain sufficient spare capacity to influence global markets have increased dramatically, according to the study. Saudi Arabia has less spare capacity immediately available now than in the 1980s and 1990s, and it will be quite expensive for Saudi Arabia to bring on additional production capacity.

Saudi Arabia has spent $14 billion since 2005 to increase its oil production since 2005 to grow its oil production capacity from 10 million b/d to 12 million b/d. Future investment in a new tranche of Saudi production capacity is likely to be even more expensive because the kingdom will have to shift to areas that have more complex geology and require greater technological intervention.

But Saudi Arabia is also facing competing priorities with higher spending requirements on social services and defense in light of new regional and internal challenges, which calls into question whether sufficient spending on spare oil production capability will be maintained. King Abdullah ordered sweeping spending increases of $67 million in March 2011 for housing, job creation and the military, on top of a $36 billion hand-out to citizens in February, in an effort to respond to increased instability across the Middle East. "The pressures for higher defense and social spending will make it that much harder for the government to justify a massive campaign to expand its oil sector."

Possible increases in Iraqi oil production will likely be very important to the future stability of the global oil markets, and Iraq’s aspirations to become a major oil exporter create shared interested with the U.S. and other major oil consuming countries. The U.S. and other major powers should meet to discuss way to support Iraq's realization of the potential of its oil and gas deposits.

"As the U.S. government did successfully in the Caspian region and the Japanese government did successfully in Qatar and other LNG [liquefied natural gas] producing nations, the United States, EU, Japan and China should work together to ensure that IOC’s [international operating companies] operating in Iraq and the Iraqi government are able to attain attractive financing and loan packages to underwrite major export infrastructure development projects," the study noted. "Multinational assistance would also be appropriate as a means to support major investments as well as bilateral or trilaterial trade finance and development assistance."

Iraq's ability to reach its energy potential should be of broad regional and international concern. The nation could be poised for a dramatic transformation, one in which it finally escapes the political and technical constraints that have kept it producing less than four percent of the world's oil, despite having the third largest conventional oil reserves in the world.

"Should Iraq meet its ambitions to bring nearly 10 million more barrels of oil on line by 2017, it would constitute the largest ever capacity increase in the history of the oil industry," said Meghan O'Sullivan, the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School. The health of Iraq's energy sector – currently the source of more than 90 percent of revenues accrued by the state – is a major determinant in setting Iraq's overall trajectory.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too

Lukoil, Partners Award Deal to Drill 23 Iraq Wells -Source

- Lukoil, Partners Award Deal to Drill 23 Iraq Wells -Source

Thursday, July 14, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
LONDON
by Hassan Hafidh

Lukoil and its partners have awarded a deal to a "known" service company to drill some 23 new wells at Iraq's supergiant West Qurna Phase 2, a person familiar with the project said Thursday.

"The central contracts committee at the Iraqi Oil Ministry is studying the contract and we expect them to take a decision shortly," the person told Dow Jones Newswires.

Along with Norway's Statoil and Iraq's state South Oil Co., Lukoil is expected to award four other major deals in August to help develop the 12.9-billion-barrel field located in Basra governorate in southern Iraq.

The four contracts include a crude processing facility, a 126-megawatt power station, an export pipeline linking the field with a tank farm in Tuba near Iraq's southern export terminals, and six large storage tanks, the person said, adding the largest contract would be the crude processing facility.

The person said that Lukoil has shortlisted five oil services companies for this plant--Saipem, SNC-Lavalin Group, Punj Lloyd, Globalstroy-Engineering and South Korea's Samsung Engineering.

For the power station the Russian supermajor has received offers from a number of companies such as Petrofac and Greece's ENKA, the person said.

The contracts are part of an initial development plan to start production from the untapped oil field, set by Lukoil and Statoil and approved by Iraq's Oil Ministry last year. They are expected to help production at the field hit 150,000 barrels of oil a day in 2013, the person said.

Lukoil and Statoil were awarded a 20-year service contract for West Qurna Phase 2 in Iraq's second licensing round held in December 2009. The companies promised to get the southern field pumping at a rate of 1.8 million barrels a day for payment of $1.15 a barrel.

The development project is one of several that Iraq awarded last year with the ambitious objective of expanding its oil production capacity to 12 million barrels a day by 2017. But Iraq's oil minister said last month that Baghdad was considering scaling down this goal and could renegotiate deals.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too
LINK

Iraq Oil Minister, Shell Confirm Preliminary Gas Accord

- Iraq Oil Minister, Shell Confirm Preliminary Gas Accord

Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
LONDON
by Hassan Hafidh

Iraq's Oil Minister Tuesday and oil giant Shell reached a preliminary accord on a long-stalled $12 billion gas deal to capture and exploit associated gas from southern Iraq oil fields.

The agreement still needs to be approved by the Iraqi Cabinet.

"The Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaiby announced today that Iraq has signed an initial contract with Shell and Japan's Mitsubishi to develop gas production in southern Iraq," the Iraqi statement said.

A Shell statement said the Anglo-Dutch oil giant was "very pleased the Basrah Gas Company Joint Venture agreements have been initialized" and that the Anglo-Dutch giant will now "look forward" to Cabinet approval.

The long-delayed agreement is important to Iraq's goals of boosting long-term oil production, because of the need to produce "associated" natural gas produced concurrently with rising oil output.

The two sides signed an initial agreement in 2008 to begin negotiations, but the talks have been delayed mainly over the pricing of produced gas that the joint venture would sell to the Iraqi government for much-needed power generation in Iraq. It wasn't immediately clear Tuesday how the agreement resolved the long-standing impasse.

The deal concerns the huge volumes of gas from three giant southern oil fields: Rumaila, Zubair and West Qurna Phase 1.

Deputy Oil Minister Ahmed al-Shammaa, who was present at the signing ceremony, said that the deal would help to increase Iraq's gas production to more than 2.5 billion cubic feet a day.

Iraq, holder of the world's 11th gas reserves, produces some 1.5 billion cubic feet a day, with half of that amount is being flared daily, because of lack of infrastructure to produce and market the gas.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too
LINK

Several Firms Show Interest in New Iraq Oil Bidding Round

- Several Firms Show Interest in New Iraq Oil Bidding Round

Thursday, July 07, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
AMMAN
by Hassan Hafidh

Several international companies have submitted documents to the Iraqi oil ministry to qualify them to take part in the country's fourth oil and gas licensing auction scheduled for January, one document and persons close to the ministry said Thursday.

According to people who saw a recent document issued by the oil ministry, at least 27 international companies have paid fees to the ministry to qualify them to take part in the bidding round to auction 12 exploration blocks located in various parts of Iraq.

"The ministry is studying documents of these companies and a list of pre-qualified companies is expected to be issued within the next two weeks," a ministry official, who asked not to be name for security reasons, said.

Among the companies mentioned on the oil ministry's list that want to take part in the auction are Chevron, ONGC Videsh Ltd., Vitol Holding B.V., GulfSands Petroleum, Enel Energia, Petrol Resources PLC, TNK-BP, and Dana Petroleum.

The list also includes six Japanese firms. They are INPEX, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., or JOGMEC, Mitsui Oil Exploration, JX Nippon O&G, or JX-NOEX, Itochu and Toyota Tsusho.

The only Arab company in the list is Mubadala Oil & Gas of the United Arab Emirates.

Iraq, which sits on the world's third largest oil reserves, has held three bidding rounds in the past two years to auction off 15 of the country's most prized oil and gas fields.

Three of the announced blocks are located in the western Anbar province while two others are shared by the Anbar, Nineveh and Najaf governorates. The sixth is in Nineveh governorate in northern Iraq. These six are believed to contain gas resources, oil ministry officials said.

The remaining five blocks, believed to contain crude oil resources, are located in other governorates including Basra, Dhi Qar (Nassiriyah), Muthanna (Samawa), Babil, Najaf, Wasit and Diyala provinces, the officials said.

The size of the blocks range from 5,500 square kilometers to 9,000 square kilometers, they added.

Iraq needs to boost gas production and build more gas-fired power plants to increase its power output, currently at 6,500 megawatts, which represent less than half the country's needs.

Although international companies would prefer production-sharing contracts for exploration blocks, Iraqi oil officials said the deals would be based on a service contract, which means winning companies will be paid a flat fee for their services rather than be given a share in the resources. But it would be slightly different from the 20-year service contract offered in the previous three bidding rounds, they said.

"The remuneration fee for each produced barrel or equivalent in the exploration contracts is expected to be more than that in the awarded oil fields," one official said.


Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too
LINK

Iraq Boosts Oil Supplies to Jordan

- Iraq Boosts Oil Supplies to Jordan

Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
by Taylor Luck, Jordan Times, Amman

Jordan has started receiving additional oil supplies from Iraq as officials in Amman continue to explore alternatives to address the Kingdom's energy woes.

According to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaled Toukan, Jordan has started to receive 15,000 barrels of Iraqi oil daily as part of an agreement struck between Baghdad and Amman earlier this month.

Also under the deal, signed during a visit of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit to Baghdad, the Kingdom receives 30,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil per day from Iraq at an $88 per tonne discount.

The boost in Iraqi oil comes amidst a drop in Egyptian gas supplies, which Jordan relies on for 80 percent of its electricity needs. Iraqi heavy fuel oil accounts for the remaining 20 percent.

Jordan currently receives 100 million cubic feet of natural gas from Egypt daily, well below the 250 million cubic feet stipulated in an amended agreement between the two sides, Toukan said.

Officials expect increased amounts of Egyptian gas by July, but remain sceptical of the reliability of supply -- particularly after attacks on the Arab Gas Pipeline earlier this year led to two separate six-week disruptions forcing the country's power plants onto their costly diesel reserves.

Facing popular pressure at home, Cairo made amending a 12-year agreement between the two sides a condition to resuming gas supplies, which the Kingdom previously received at preferential prices of less than half of the international rate.

Meanwhile, the government is set to float a tender in November for the construction of an offshore gas terminal to receive and transport liquid gas to Amman.

According to Toukan, Jordan has received interest from several international firms in the terminal, to be built off the Port of Aqaba within the next two years.

The government has received expressions of interest from British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell, GDF Suez, Qatar Gas Cooperation and Lemont/General Electric, among others.

Jordan's drive for liquid gas comes as part of officials' efforts to cover a five- to six-year "gap period" ahead of the development of domestic energy sources including wind, solar and nuclear power.

Copyright (c) 2011, Jordan Times, Amman

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too

Gazprom Neft: Schlumberger to Drill Wells at Iraq Badra Field

- Gazprom Neft: Schlumberger to Drill Wells at Iraq Badra Field

Monday, June 20, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
MOSCOW
by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

A consortium led by Russian state oil producer Gazprom Neft has picked Schlumberger to drill the first wells at the Badra field in Iraq, the Russian company said Monday.

Schlumberger has been contracted to drill 11 wells over a three-year period, Gazprom Neft said.

The consortium--which also includes South Korea's Korea Gas Corp., or Kogas, Turkish Petroleum Corp., or TPAO, and Malaysia's Petronas--plans to start production from the Badra field in 2013.

Gazprom Neft estimates total costs for the Badra project at $2 billion and plans to drill 17 wells by 2017, when production should reach 170,000 barrels a day.

Gazprom Neft is the oil arm of Russian gas giant Gazprom.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too

KMG EP Pulls Out of Iraq Field Development Talks

KMG EP Pulls Out of Iraq Field Development Talks

Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
by A.Maratov, Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan

The National Company KazMunaiGas Exploration Production (KMG EP ) has informed the Oil and Gas Ministry of Iraq and the company Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) of its withdrawal from participation in the Akkas Field Development project negotiations in Iraq, the company reported.

In October 2010 KMG EP, together with KOGAS (the "Consortium"), won a tender for development of Iraq's Akkas gas field. The Consortium has held negotiations with the Government of Iraq with the objective of signing a contract to develop the Akkas field. "Unfortunately, the talks have failed to resolve all issues which emerged at a late stage and it has not been possible to develop a consensus document that would fully meet the interests of all parties," the report reads.

KMG EP would like to stress that it still believes Iraq to be an attractive area for investment. The Company appreciates the work done on this project by its partners from the Government of Iraq and KOGAS and would like to thank them for their efforts and regrets that it has not been possible for KMG EP to proceed.

KMG EP is among the top three Kazakh oil and gas producers. The overall production in 2010 was 13.3mt (an average of 270kbopd) of crude oil, including the Company's share in Kazgermunai, CCEL, PKI and NBK. The total volume of proved and probable reserves, as at the end of 2010 was 232mt (1.7bn bbl), including shares in the associates -- about 2.2bln barrels.

Copyright (c) 2011, Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too

Russia Plans to Boost Investments in Iraq's Oil, Energy Sectors

Russia Plans to Boost Investments in Iraq's Oil, Energy Sectors

Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
by Nehal El-Sherif, dpa, Berlin

The Russian government was working to increase its investments in Iraq, especially in the oil and energy sectors, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday.

"Russia supports the Iraqi government in its efforts to restore security and develop the economy," Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari in Baghdad.

"We are also working to increase cooperation and our investments here ... We are delighted that Russian companies are working in Iraq in the energy field," he said.

A consortium led by Russia's private oil company, Lukoil, secured the rights to develop an oilfield in 2009. Lukoil recently announced plans to quadruple its oil production from the massive West Qurna oilfield, to the west of Basra. It said initial production was scheduled for 2012 and full production should begin in 2017.

Iraq has held three international bidding rounds since late 2009 to attract investments in its oil and gas industry.

It relies heavily on oil exports for its revenue and aims to raise production from 2.5 million barrels to 12 million barrels per day within six years.

Lavrov said they also discussed the security situation in Iraq and cooperation in the defense sector. He also said Russia intends to open a consulate in the southern city of Basra, where some of the largest oilfields are located.

Copyright (c) 2011, dpa, Berlin. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too

Iran's Mahshahar in Talks to Build Oil Pipe Plant in Iraq

Iran's Mahshahar in Talks to Build Oil Pipe Plant in Iraq

Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Asia Pulse Pte Ltd

Iran's Mahshahar, a specialist oil pipe manufacturer, is in talks with Iraq's Basra Investment Commission to build a factory and warehouses in Basra to provide the Iraqi State Oil Company with custom-made oil pipes.

Head of the commission, Haidar Ali Fadhil, told NINA that the Iranian firm had discussed building the factory and the warehouses under international standards.

He expressed the commission's readiness to provide land for the project and accelerate the license procedures.

Fadhil said that both sides have agreed to hold an expanded meeting with the entrusted Iraqi companies; Southern Oil Company, Southern Gas Company, Oil Pipelines Company, and Southern Refineries Company in order to cooperate and coordinate and provide them with the needed pipes.

(C) 2011 Asia Pulse Pte Ltd.

Oil & Gas Post

Promote Your Page Too

Sonoro Gets Green Light to Commence Asphalt Proj. in Iraq

Sonoro Gets Green Light to Commence Asphalt Proj. in Iraq

Monday, April 25, 2011
Sonoro Energy Ltd.

Sonoro announced that further to the previously announced Management Committee approval of the Company's work program and budget for the first year of the license period in Iraq, the Company has now received an investment permit from the provincial governorate of Salah ad Din allowing the Company to proceed with its asphalt (heavy oil) project. This permit allows Sonoro to immediately commence operations and allows for the importation of necessary equipment and personnel. Finally, this permit sets April 14, 2011 as the commencement date of Sonoro's exclusive five year exploration period as per the License Agreement.

Sonoro's immediate objective is the appraisal of its North Salah ad Din resource prospect. This phase includes the acquisition of seismic data and the drilling of three wells to delineate the field size and to evaluate resource deliverability. The Company has recently identified three additional exploration prospects upon which further seismic and well data is being acquired to facilitate further delineation of these prospects.

President and CEO, Richard Wadsworth, commented, "With this permit our team now has the necessary approvals to commence operations and drilling of at least three wells in Salah ad Din targeted for Q3 2011. Our next steps are to finalize our security and drilling program and to tender out for a rig and related services. The fact that we have identified four distinct prospects in different areas of the province in a short period of time provides confidence in the large resource potential within the province."

Iraq to Auction 12 O&G Fields

Iraq to Auction 12 O&G Fields

Monday, April 25, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires

Iraq is to auction 12 oil and gas fields to foreign companies in January 2012, Oil Minister Abdelkarim al-Luaybi said on Monday.

"The auction will take place in the first month of 2012," Luaybi told reporters in Baghdad.

The auction will be "for 12 exploration blocs, seven for gas and five for oil," he said.

The auction is the fourth round of bidding for foreign companies, following similar sales in July and December 2009 as well as last October.

Iraq has so far signed 11 oil contracts with international energy companies following the two auctions in 2009. Last year, it also awarded three gas fields for exploitation, vying to become an international player in the gas market.

The country produces around 2.5 million barrels of oil a day, of which about 80% is exported. Oil sales account for some 90% of Iraqi government revenue.

Halliburton Gets ExxonMobil Contract in Iraq - Shares Down 2.4%

Halliburton Gets ExxonMobil Contract in Iraq - Shares Down 2.4%



Shares of Halliburton (HAL) are down as the company said it has been awarded a contract by Exxon Mobil (XOM) Iraq Limited to provide drilling services for 15 wells in the West Qurna oil field located in Southern Iraq.

Halliburton will provide a range of well construction services utilizing three drilling rigs to safely deliver the wells, the company said in a statement.

Halliburton shares are down 2.35%, or $1.12, to $47.02.

Kuwait seeks to import Iraqi gas in Shell deal

Kuwait seeks to import Iraqi gas in Shell deal

Apr 11, 2011
Tamsin Carlisle

Kuwait is seeking to import gas from Iraq through a deal with Royal Dutch Shell.
The emirate burns large volumes of oil in its power plants as it has insufficient supplies of cleaner-burning gas.

It has contracts with Shell for summer imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and for a complex project to exploit deep gasfields near its border with Iraq, but that project will take years to develop.

In the meantime, Kuwait is seeking to boost imports, some of which may come from the vast gas resources of its neighbour.

"Kuwait is not negotiating with the Iraqi government in this regard, but with international oil companies in Iraq that are developing oil and gas fields there," the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida has reported, citing a source in the state gas industry.

The emirate was hoping to secure a deal for Iraqi gas to start being delivered within the next 12 to 18 months, the official said.

"It is likely that the Kuwaitis have approached Shell, which is in the final stages of negotiating an associated gas-gathering and monetisation joint venture with state-owned South Gas Company in Iraq and Japan's Mitsubishi," said Samuel Ciszuk, the senior Middle East energy analyst at IHS Global Insight.

The much delayed Shell-led venture would gather large gas volumes produced from southern Iraq's big oilfields. The gas there is now being flared, or burnt off.

The priority use for the gas is to fuel Iraq's electricity sector but surplus may be available for export in the first few years of the project while power plants are built.

Shell has suggested temporary exports through a proposed floating LNG terminal it could build within 18 months of signing a contract.

"The Iraqis and Shell might in the end prefer the flexibility of LNG over piping gas to Kuwait," Mr Ciszuk suggested.

At an oil and gas summit in Kuwait last week, Mohammed Hussain, the deputy chairman of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), said gas supply had become a critical issue for Kuwait and KOC had a long-term plan to nearly quadruple gas output to 4 billion cubic feet a day by 2030.

But LNG imports to Kuwait, which began in 2009, would continue to be needed for some time before the emirate could sufficiently boost its domestic gas output, said Hashim al Rifai, the managing director of planning at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the parent of KOC.
The imports have come from as far away as Sakhalin Island in Russia.

Some of the additions to Kuwait's domestic gas output are expected to be associated with increased oil production.


But the emirate faces an uphill battle to develop its marginal oil resources and refurbish large oilfields that were badly damaged in the First Gulf War.

Shell to Start Drilling at Iraq Majnoon Oil Field in July

Shell to Start Drilling at Iraq Majnoon Oil Field in July

Thursday, March 31, 2011
by  Hassan Hafidh

Shell along with its partners, Malaysia's Petronas and the Iraqi state Missan Oil Co., will start drilling the first new well in the super-giant Majnoon oil field in July, a company executive said Thursday.

"Shell is targeting July 2011 to spud the first well," Ole Myklestad, managing director of Shell in Iraq told reporters in Basra.

Between 15 and 20 wells will be drilled in Majnoon oil field in southern Iraq and some 27 others will be refurbished to bring output to 175,000 barrels a day by the end of next year from the current 60,000 barrels a day, Myklestad said. The new wells and the refurbish work is part of an early production plan.

The well drilling is part of a contract Shell and its partners signed with U.S. service giant Halliburton and the state-run Iraqi Drilling Co. last year.

The executive also said that Shell has opened a new office in Basra to manage its projects in Iraq. The office is to make sure that "we have the human resources and all the supports required by an international company in Basra."

Myklestad said that there are some 300 Iraqis working on the Majnoon project and they are from the state-run South Oil Co. Some 50 Shell expatriate personnel are also working on the project, he said.

Shell and Petronas won the right to develop Majnoon oil field, located in Basra governorate in southern Iraq, at an auction held in Baghdad December 2009. Shells owns 45% of the venture and Petronas 30%, with Iraq's Missan Oil Co. the remaining 25%.

Shell also will start constructing a 75 kilometer pipeline to connect Majnoon with the crude oil depots in Faw, as a stop before shipping the crude into vessels in the Gulf. Myklestad said that Shell and its partner would provide the finance for building the pipeline.

The Anglo-Dutch giant is also planning to commence a seismic survey but after clearing mines left from the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war.

"We want to get results of a seismic survey in the next two years," he said.

Petrofac Lands Contract for Shell's Majnoon Field

Petrofac Lands Contract for Shell's Majnoon Field

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Petrofac Ltd.

Petrofac has been awarded a contract, in excess of US $240 million by Shell Iraq Petroleum Development B.V. for developments in the Majnoon Field, Southern Iraq.

Under the competitively tendered contract, Petrofac is providing engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction management services for the development of a new early production system comprising two trains each with capacity for 50,000 barrels of oil per day, along with upgrading of existing brownfield facilities. Work on the project began in mid-2010 and is expected to complete during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Ayman Asfari, Petrofac group chief executive, said, "Majnoon is one of Iraq's largest developments and we are delighted to be working with Shell to assist them with unlocking the field's potential. Iraq's geographic location, adjacent to many of our existing areas of operation, made it a natural market for the group as we continue to broaden our geographic footprint."

Subramanian Sarma, managing director, Petrofac Engineering & Construction added, "Prior to beginning work with Shell in Iraq last year, we had spent many months preparing in order to achieve a sufficient level of readiness across several aspects of our business operations. All of our activities are underpinned by our strong commitment to safety, quality and integrity and alongside Shell and the local community, we are working to deliver this project to the standards our customers and stakeholders expect from us."

Iraq, Shell Resolve Last Obstacle to $12B Gas Deal -Official

Iraq, Shell Resolve Last Obstacle to $12B Gas Deal -Official

Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires

by  Hassan Hafidh

 

The Iraqi Oil Ministry and Shell have removed the last obstacle preventing them from signing a long-awaited $12 billion joint-venture deal, a senior Iraqi oil official said Tuesday.

The main dispute was over the rights of export. Shell, along with its partner Japan's Mitsubishi, wanted to handle exports, while under current Iraqi hydrocarbon laws the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organization should do so.

"The issue is nearly resolved," Ali H. Khudhier, head of the state-run South Gas Company told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview in his office in Zubair, south of Basra.

"Shell wanted to handle exports, but now it is agreed that SOMO would handle export," he said. Shell, however, has asked for further discussions as it needs to install an export mechanism, he said.

Last week, the energy committee at the Iraqi council of ministers asked the Oil Ministry to review the Shell draft deal which aims to capture and exploit millions of cubic feet a day of gas flared from four super-giant oil fields near Basra.

The gas project is crucial to Baghdad's ambitious oil expansion that will also boost much-needed power generation in Iraq.

"Once the energy committee approves the recent changes, we need to sit with Shell to adjust these changes in the draft contract," Khudhier said. He preferred not to give a specific date for signing the deal, but he said it could happen in a matter of weeks.

The joint venture--Basrah Gas Co, or BGC--will process associated gas produced from three supergiant Iraqi fields--Rumaila, West Qurna 1 and Zubair--all located in Basra. The three fields are being developed by international oil companies.

"We are expecting these three fields to produce up to 3 billion cubic feet a day in the coming six to seven years," Khudhier said.

In total, the three fields are currently producing some 1.05 billion cubic feet a day, but only 450 million cubic feet a day are utilized while the rest is flared, he said.

The project is vital to Shell's strategy of positioning itself as a leading gas supplier and producer in the Middle East. After domestic needs are met, an LNG terminal will be built in the Gulf to handle the export of 600 million cubic feet a day.

"The extra gas will be exported to East Asia and Gulf states including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates," Khudhier said.
He also said Iraq could revive a disused pipeline to export gas to Kuwait. "If the Kuwaitis want to import gas from us, we are ready to supply them," he said. Iraq used to export an average of 200 million cubic feet a day gas to neighboring Kuwait, but sales were suspended when Iraq invaded its neighbor in 1990.

Iraq is home to 126 trillion cubic feet of gas, but produces only around 1.5 billion cubic feet a day--of which 700 million cubic feet a day are burned for lack of infrastructure.