Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: black sky, Iran, Iraq, ISIS, oil, Peshmerga, poisoned air, Qassem Soleimani, sabotage, scorched earth, Shiite, Tikrit
The army, backed by Shiite militia and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, has yet to reconquer and secure any city held by Islamic State, despite seven months of air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition, as well as weapons supplies and strategic support from neighboring Iran.
Tehran, not Washington, has been the key player in the current offensive, with Iranian Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani seen directing operations on the eastern flank, and Iranian-backed militia fighters leading much of the operation.
via Islamic State torches oil field near Tikrit as militia advance | Reuters.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: BP, Chevron, Deepwater Horizon, Exxon, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraqi oil production, Kurdish oil, Kurdish oil production, kurdistan, Kurds, macondo, production sharing agreements, Tony Hayward, Total, Total SA
The Kurdish region plans to increase output to 2 million barrels a day by 2019, Michael Howard, an adviser to Kurdistan Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami, said in a June 10 phone interview. It has signed energy agreements with about 50 companies and plans to increase output to 1 million barrels a day by 2015 from about 300,000 barrels a day now, he said.
Kurdish authorities recognize production-sharing agreements, which give investors a share of any oil they may produce, whereas Iraq’s Oil Ministry offers only fee-based service contracts. This has attracted interest from investors such as Norway’s Statoil ASA (STL) that are unhappy with the central government’s contract terms for exploration and production.
Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and Total SA (FP) are flouting warnings by the government against seeking separate deals with the Kurds, whom Iraq’s Oil Ministry accuses of “smuggling” oil from the country.
via Tony Hayward Loads Trucks With Kurdish Oil Awaiting Pipe: Energy – Bloomberg.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: crude oil, EIA, energy, Iran oil production, Iraq, middle-east, oil production, oil supply, peak oil, Peak Oil is dead, pipeline problems, Turkey
A new fire in the North Sea; blowout in Russia; hacking in Iran; pipeline problems in Turkey; accelerated violence in South Sudan… What I miss?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Iraq, Iraqi civil war, Iraqi oil production, Lukoil, Norway, oil production, Russia, Statoil, West Qurna, West Qurna-2
As Norwegian Statoil bugs out.
Lukoil aims to invest around $2 billion in the West Qurna-2 oil field in Iraq this year, Bloomberg News reports. A company spokesman told Bloomberg that $200 million was invested there in 2011.
The oil company, the largest private energy company in Russia, also announced plans to start construction on a new oil pipeline and spell out details for its drilling program.
via Lukoil unveils investment plans for Iraq – UPI.com.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Exxonmobil, Iraq, Iraqi oil production, KRG, Kurdish oil, kurdistan
Kind of like the proverbial jilted lover.
“The government is waiting for Exxon’s answers to decide its final position towards the company and its deals with Kurdistan. The deadline expires in the coming few days,” Abdullah said.
Exxon Mobil late last month disclosed its plans to explore for oil in Iraq’s Kurdistan in the company’s annual report, breaking months of silence over the investment that has outraged Baghdad.
via Iraq Sets Deadline for ExxonMobil – Exploration.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: civil war, Iraq, Sadr City, Shia, Shiite, Sunnis
The bombers choice of Sadr City as a target appeared designed to cause as much rage among Iraq’s Shia majority as possible.
The district, home to more than 3m Shias, is one of the most sensitive in the country, providing many of the recruits that have served in radical militias like the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr, the firebrand Shia cleric.
via Wave of bombings across Iraq leaves more than 70 dead – Telegraph.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Basra, Iraq, Kurds, Malaki, oil, Shiites, Sunnis
Iraq oil hub Basra wants bigger say, more autonomy | Reuters.
Industrialized Cyclist Notepad 