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Karbala Refinery begins Trial Ops

By John Lee.

The Minister of Oil has announced the commencement of crude oil supplies to Karbala refinery for the start of its trial operation.

Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail said that the refinery has a capacity of 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) and will help partially in meeting local needs and reducing imports of refined fuel.

He also praised the efforts of all involved, including the consortium of Korean companies and all the parties who supported the project.

Regular production is due to start by the end of the year.

In 2014, a group of companies led by Hyundai Engineering & Construction won the $6.04-billion contract to build the new refinery. The joint venture, HDGSK, also involved GS Engineering & Construction, and SK Engineering & Construction.

French company Technip provided project management consultancy (PMC) services for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) phase.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

The post Karbala Refinery begins Trial Ops first appeared on Iraq Business News.

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TechnipFMC settles Iraq Bribery Case

By John Lee.

Oil and gas company TechnipFMC has agreed to pay more than $5 million to settle an Iraq-related corruption case with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The company is alleged to have taken part in bribery between 2008 and 2013 to secure business from Iraqi state-owned oil companies.

Just last month, the company announced that it would demerge its operations into two separate companies.

The full statement from the SEC can be read here.

(Source: SEC)

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TechnipFMC Fined for Iraq Bribes

By John Lee.

Oil services firm TechnipFMC (TFMC) has agreed to pay $296 million to resolve allegations that the company paid bribes in Brazil and Iraq.

TFMC is the product of a 2017 merger between two predecessor companies, Technip S.A. and FMC Technologies, Inc..

The admissions and court documents establish that beginning by at least 2008 and continuing until at least 2013, FMC conspired to violate the US’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to at least seven government officials in Iraq, including officials at the Ministry of Oil, the South Oil Company (SOC) and the Missan Oil Company (MOC), through a Monaco-based intermediary company in order to win secure improper business advantages and to influence those foreign officials to obtain and retain business for FMC Technologies in Iraq.

(Source: US Justice Dept)