Iraq was Largest Beneficiary of China’s Belt & Road in 2021

By John Lee.

Iraq was the largest beneficiary from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2021, according to a study by the Green Finance & Development Center, at Shanghai’s Fudan University.

It says the country with the highest construction volume was Iraq, with about $10.5 billion, followed by Serbia (about $6.8 billion) and Indonesia (about $2.4 billion).

In the energy sector, Iraq received by far the most investment from China in 2021.

Iraq and China cooperate on oil (e.g., construction of the Al Khairat heavy oil power plant with a total value of about $5 billion), gas (e.g., development of the Mansuriya gas field by Sinopec together with Iraq’s Midland Oil Company), as well as solar (e.g., a 2 GW power PV project, currently in permission stage developed and owned by Power Construction Corporation of China valued at $3.7 billion).

The report suggests that the price for the solar power project seems unusually high if no energy storage facility is included, with a comparable 2.2GW solar plant completed in China’s Qinghai, with 202 MWh storage, at a cost of $2.2 billion.

A Chinese company, the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), will also rehabilitate Nassiryiah International Airport.

The full report can be read here.

(Source: Green Finance & Development Center)

The post Iraq was Largest Beneficiary of China’s Belt & Road in 2021 first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Chinese Company to Develop Iraq’s Mansuriyah Gas Field

By John Lee.

The Chinese company Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation) has won a contract to develop the Mansuriyah gas field in Diyala.

The field, near the Iranian border, is expected to produce 300 million standard cubic feet (Mmscf) per day of gas, which will be used for electricity generation.

In 2010, an agreement had been signed for the field to be developed by Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) (37.5%), Iraqi Oil Exploration Company (25%), Kuwait Energy (KEC) (22.5%), and Kogas (15%). This consortium stopped development in 2014 due to security concerns, and the agreement was reportedly cancelled in 2020.

Under the new 25-year deal agreed on Tuesday, Sinopec will have a 49-percent interest in the field, with Iraq’s state-owned Midland [Middle, Central] Oil Company having 51 percent.

The contract may be extended for an additional five years.

According to the Ministry of Oil, Sinopec’s bid was he lowest submitted.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

The post Chinese Company to Develop Iraq’s Mansuriyah Gas Field first appeared on Iraq Business News.

INOC takes over 9 State Oil Companies

By John Lee.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] has transferred ownership of nine state-owned oil companies from the Ministry of Oil to the newly-created Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC).

The Minister is also the President of INOC.

The companies transferred to INOC ownership are:

  • Iraqi Oil Exploration Company
  • Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC)
  • State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO)
  • North Oil Company (NOC)
  • Midland (Middle) Oil Company
  • Basra Oil Company (BOC)
  • Dhi Qar Oil Company (DQOC)
  • Missan Oil Company (MCO)
  • Iraqi Oil Tankers Company (IOTC)

IBN Expert Blogger Ahmed Mousa Jiyad has described the new company as “dysfunctional, unconstitutional and disintegrative“.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

ZhenHua signs East Baghdad Deal

By John Lee.

China’s ZhenHua Oil [Jinhua] has signed a service contract to develop the southern part of the East Baghdad oil field.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] said that the signature of the contract was significance for Baghdad because it is the first project in the capital.

The development of the field will raise the production of the Midland Oil Company.

As part of the deal, the project will also provide social services, and see the construction of a housing complex with 2000 residential units.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)