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BHEL to supply Compressor to Baiji Refinery

By John Lee.

New Delhi-based Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has won an order to supply a news compressor to Baiji Refinery in Iraq.

The order, placed by the North Refineries Company (NRC), envisages design, engineering, manufacturing and supply of electric motor driven Recycle Gas Centrifugal compressor and will be executed by BHEL’s International Operations Division along with its manufacturing units at Hyderabad and Bhopal.

The new compressor will replace the existing compressor, also supplied by BHEL in the year 2000, which was damaged due to the war in Iraq.

BHEL has previously supplied several Gas Turbine based Power Plants, including 4×157 MW Gas Turbine Generator (GTG) units for Baiji Power Station and 2×125 MW GTG units for Rumailla Power Station. BHEL has also executed a turnkey order for construction of 4×125 MW Gas Turbine based Sulaymaniyah Power Project in Iraq.

(Source: BHEL)

(Picture: a compressor previously installed by BHEL in Iraq)

The post BHEL to supply Compressor to Baiji Refinery first appeared on Iraq Business News.

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Amarinth delivers $650k Pumps to Garraf Oilfield

UK-based pump company Amarinth has delivered four API 610 VS4 vertical pumps with Plan 53B seal support systems for the Oil Train 5 Project at Garraf oilfield.

Located at the northwest of Al-Refaei, approximately 85 kilometers north of the City of Nasiriya, half way between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the southeast of Iraq, Garraf is the fifth largest oil and gas field in Iraq with estimated reserves of 1 million barrels of oil.

Petronas and its partners are currently increasing production in the field, and the addition of Oil Train 5 is expected to bring this up to 230,000 barrels per day.

The $650,000 order of four API 610 VS4 vertical pumps with Plan 53B seal support systems was placed with Amarinth by China Petroleum Engineering Procurement & Construction (CPECC).

According to a press release from the company, this was the first time that CPECC had ordered from Amarinth and the decision was made based on Amarinth’s proven ability to design and deliver bespoke API 610 pumps for hazardous areas, along with the company’s previous experience of successfully supplying pumps for the Iraq market, all to strict deadlines.

The pumps were manufactured in Inconel Alloy 625, a nickel-based superalloy that possesses high strength properties, resistance to elevated temperatures and excellent protection against corrosion and oxidation. In addition, the Plan 53B seal support systems required a bespoke mounting configuration and piping design.

Amarinth successfully completed the design, manufacture, and delivery within the required 34 weeks.

Oliver Brigginshaw, Managing Director of Amarinth, commented:

“We are delighted with this first order from CPECC, again underlining our strength in the Middle East, and in particular our ability to delivery API 610 pumps into the developing oil and gas projects in Iraq.”

(Source: Amarinth)

The post Amarinth delivers 0k Pumps to Garraf Oilfield first appeared on Iraq Business News.

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SKA Energy Keeps Iraq’s Essential Fuels Flowing

Despite the combined pressures of a global pandemic, political deadlock, falling oil prices and continued violence against government forces and others, SKA has continued to deliver over 90% of Iraq’s imported fuel requirements.

SKA’s unique partnership with the Ministry of Oil’s Oil Pipeline Company (OPC) and the close cooperation of Ministry of Transport’s General Company for the Ports of Iraq (GCPI) have ensured that vital supplies of imported diesel and gasoline continue to flow.

SKA’s CEO, Mr Mike Douglas said:

“This is what SKA does. We stand firm in the face of adversity and get the job done. These combined challenges just make us more determined to succeed. Fuel supplies are vital to industry, transport and power generation and we will keep them flowing.

“Of note, the vital dredging we just completed during the curfew, guarantees that the biggest cargos on LR2 vessels, are not stalled; before we started, that size of ship had never been seen in the river. The company was built on the motto of “doing difficult jobs in difficult places” and now, more than ever, that is true.”

“We thank all our local and expatriate staff, and the Iraq Government, for their steadfast support and cooperation. We realize that it is not easy to be away from homes and families in these challenging times, but together we will continue to ensure that the Iraqi people get what they need to overcome these daily challenges. We hope and pray that SKA as a company and Iraq as a nation will emerge stronger at the end of all this”.

SKA operates the only private Maritime Oil Storage and Distribution Terminal in Iraq. Combined with the joint operation of the oil import jetties in Khor Al Zubair Port, SKA is responsible to the importation of over 90% of Iraq’s oil product import demand. SKA has ensured that this vital infrastructure is operated, maintained and enhanced during this difficult time.

SKA, in partnership with the Iraq Government, hopes to build on this success in the future with further enhancements to the import and export infrastructure. Mike Douglas said:

“We will overcome the current challenges and in the future build and operate more oil product storage in Khor Al Zubair. This will provide increased volumes for import and much needed cargo consolidation for export. It will also provide much needed employment for the local population. We have been in Iraq for 17 years and are here to stay.”

(Source: IBBC)

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Parker Drilling Wins Contract at Qara Dagh

Genel Energy has announced the signing of a contract with Parker Drilling for the drilling of the QD-2 well on the Qara Dagh field (Genel 40% working interest, operator), in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The QD-2 well will test the structural crest 10 km to the north-west of the QD-1 well, which tested sweet, light oil from Cretaceous carbonates. The Parker-269 rig (pictured) has been contracted to drill the well.

Civil construction works for the well pad and camp are now underway, and the well is on track to spud in H1 2020.

Unrisked gross mean resources at Qara Dagh are currently estimated by Genel at c.200 MMbbls.

(Source: Genel Energy)

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New USAID Funding for Victims of ISIS Genocide

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green announced the first tranche of recipients under USAID’s New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) on Thursday during his remarks at the Accord Network’s Annual Forum.

The organizations will carry out programs that improve global health outcomes in USAID’s partner countries, and assist populations in the Republic of Iraq that are recovering from the genocide perpetrated by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Administrator Green launched the NPI in May 2019 to expand and diversify USAID’s partner base and change the way the Agency does business. By working with new or underutilized partners, the Agency hopes to bring more innovative approaches to U.S. foreign assistance; focus on strengthening capacity and commitment in partner countries by tapping into existing networks of community- and faith-based organizations; and reach new populations.

Administrator Green also announced a new $18 million award to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support the return and recovery of displaced religious and ethnic minority communities in the Nineveh Plains and Western Nineveh Province. Long-time USAID partner Samaritan’s Purse will receive $9 million of that total.

New USAID Assistance Through the NPI Direct to Local Iraqi Groups That Are Helping Victims of ISIS Genocide

USAID is awarding small grants through the NPI that total approximately $4 million to six local groups in Northern Iraq to help religious and ethnic minorities targeted by ISIS. The new NPI implementers in Northern Iraq are the following:

Philadelphia Organization for Relief and Development: The award will establish a community center in the town of Qaraqosh to provide services for people with disabilities, training in employment skills, child care, and a community food bank.

Catholic University of Erbil: The award will provide classes in business language and computer software for widows, victims of abuse, and former captives of ISIS.

Top Mountain: The award will support a business incubator and employment program for Iraqi youth, which will promote entrepreneurship, provide business training, and build commercial networks.

Shlama Foundation: The award seeks to improve job opportunities through training engineers on the installation on solar power, provide electricity for families, and install solar-powered pumps for farms and street lighting for villages.

Beth Nahrain: The award will help re-establish a local, women-led organization decimated by ISIS. The organization will also provide small-business vocational training to women in the Nineveh Plains.

Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights: The award will provide trauma-rehabilitation and resilience services to survivors of genocide; legal services and programs in justice/reparations; and activities to promote inter-religious and inter-ethnic dialogue.

The United States remains committed to supporting persecuted religious and ethnic minorities in Northern Iraq. With these new awards, the total assistance the U.S. Government has provided since 2017 in Northern Iraq is now more than $400 million. These programs complement H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018, which passed with bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and which President Donald J. Trump signed into law on December 11, 2018. Additional U.S. humanitarian assistance has also benefited the same Iraqi communities.

New Funding for the IOM and Samaritan’s Purse to Help Victims of ISIS Genocide

Administrator Green also announced at the Accord Network that Samaritan’s Purse will receive $9 million as a part of a new $18 million award to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to support the return and recovery of displaced religious and ethnic minority communities in the Nineveh Plains and Western Nineveh Province in Iraq.

New USAID Assistance in Global Health Through the NPI

Administrator Green also announced two new awards under the Agency’s NPI for global health. These awards, which total $68 million, will leverage the expertise and reach of local and locally established civil society and faith- and community-based organizations to increase the quality, access, and sustainability of health care.

The new NPI implementers for global health are the following:

World Relief: Working with local partners, World Relief will expand and leverage existing community networks in four countries to help strengthen maternal, reproductive, and child health at the local level.

Palladium International: This program will help reach USAID’s goal of increasing access to, and the uptake of, high-quality health care across priority areas, in line with USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance. The partner will provide sub-awards to local organizations, along with mentoring and technical support to strengthen their capacity. Palladium will be expected to pass sixty-five percent of the total award to new and underutilized sub-awardees.

(Source: USAID)

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New USAID Funding for Victims of ISIS Genocide

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green announced the first tranche of recipients under USAID’s New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) on Thursday during his remarks at the Accord Network’s Annual Forum.

The organizations will carry out programs that improve global health outcomes in USAID’s partner countries, and assist populations in the Republic of Iraq that are recovering from the genocide perpetrated by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Administrator Green launched the NPI in May 2019 to expand and diversify USAID’s partner base and change the way the Agency does business. By working with new or underutilized partners, the Agency hopes to bring more innovative approaches to U.S. foreign assistance; focus on strengthening capacity and commitment in partner countries by tapping into existing networks of community- and faith-based organizations; and reach new populations.

Administrator Green also announced a new $18 million award to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support the return and recovery of displaced religious and ethnic minority communities in the Nineveh Plains and Western Nineveh Province. Long-time USAID partner Samaritan’s Purse will receive $9 million of that total.

New USAID Assistance Through the NPI Direct to Local Iraqi Groups That Are Helping Victims of ISIS Genocide

USAID is awarding small grants through the NPI that total approximately $4 million to six local groups in Northern Iraq to help religious and ethnic minorities targeted by ISIS. The new NPI implementers in Northern Iraq are the following:

Philadelphia Organization for Relief and Development: The award will establish a community center in the town of Qaraqosh to provide services for people with disabilities, training in employment skills, child care, and a community food bank.

Catholic University of Erbil: The award will provide classes in business language and computer software for widows, victims of abuse, and former captives of ISIS.

Top Mountain: The award will support a business incubator and employment program for Iraqi youth, which will promote entrepreneurship, provide business training, and build commercial networks.

Shlama Foundation: The award seeks to improve job opportunities through training engineers on the installation on solar power, provide electricity for families, and install solar-powered pumps for farms and street lighting for villages.

Beth Nahrain: The award will help re-establish a local, women-led organization decimated by ISIS. The organization will also provide small-business vocational training to women in the Nineveh Plains.

Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights: The award will provide trauma-rehabilitation and resilience services to survivors of genocide; legal services and programs in justice/reparations; and activities to promote inter-religious and inter-ethnic dialogue.

The United States remains committed to supporting persecuted religious and ethnic minorities in Northern Iraq. With these new awards, the total assistance the U.S. Government has provided since 2017 in Northern Iraq is now more than $400 million. These programs complement H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018, which passed with bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and which President Donald J. Trump signed into law on December 11, 2018. Additional U.S. humanitarian assistance has also benefited the same Iraqi communities.

New Funding for the IOM and Samaritan’s Purse to Help Victims of ISIS Genocide

Administrator Green also announced at the Accord Network that Samaritan’s Purse will receive $9 million as a part of a new $18 million award to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to support the return and recovery of displaced religious and ethnic minority communities in the Nineveh Plains and Western Nineveh Province in Iraq.

New USAID Assistance in Global Health Through the NPI

Administrator Green also announced two new awards under the Agency’s NPI for global health. These awards, which total $68 million, will leverage the expertise and reach of local and locally established civil society and faith- and community-based organizations to increase the quality, access, and sustainability of health care.

The new NPI implementers for global health are the following:

World Relief: Working with local partners, World Relief will expand and leverage existing community networks in four countries to help strengthen maternal, reproductive, and child health at the local level.

Palladium International: This program will help reach USAID’s goal of increasing access to, and the uptake of, high-quality health care across priority areas, in line with USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance. The partner will provide sub-awards to local organizations, along with mentoring and technical support to strengthen their capacity. Palladium will be expected to pass sixty-five percent of the total award to new and underutilized sub-awardees.

(Source: USAID)

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Oilserv Wins Contract at Sarta Oilfield

By John Lee.

Genel Energy has confirmed that Chevron Sarta, as operator of the Sarta field (Genel 30% working interest), has signed a contract with Dubai-based OILSERV for the construction, installation, operation and maintenance of a 20,000 bopd central processing facility (‘CPF’).

OILSERV has been contracted for the facility through a lease agreement. The commissioning of the CPF and production start-up remains on track for the middle of 2020.

Phase 1A of the development represents a low-cost pilot development of the Mus-Adaiyah reservoirs, designed to recover 2P gross reserves of 34 MMbbls. Crude will be processed through the CPF and then transferred to a local facility for further distribution.

Subsequent expansion investment decisions will be based on production behaviour plus a subsequent two to three well appraisal/development campaign. Unrisked gross mid-case resources relating to the Jurassic Mus-Adaiyah reservoir alone are estimated by Genel at c.150 MMbbls, similar in size to the Peshkabir field.

(Source: Genel Energy)

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UK Firm to study Iraq/Kuwait Shared Oilfields

By John Lee.

Iraq and Kuwait have selected British energy advisory firm ERC Equipoise (ERCE) to prepare a study on the development of shared border oilfields.

Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said a contract would be concluded in the coming days with the company, which was chosen from a list of four candidates.

ERCE is a specialist in oil and gas reservoir evaluation.

The study will include the reservoirs of Ratqa/Rumaila and Safwan-Abdali.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

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Iraq signs Gas Processing Deal with Honeywell

By John Lee.

US-based Honeywell has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the South Gas Company (SGC) to process 300 million cubic meters of gas per day from the Artawi field in southern Iraq.

(Source: Oil Ministry)

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UK Firm to Train Technicians from Kurdistan

TTE Technical Institute has secured a new project with international energy and water company TAQA to provide technical training to Middle East based technicians.

A group of 13 technicians from TAQA’s Atrush Block oil production facility in the Kurdistan region of Iraq are spending three months in the UK at TTE’s fully-equipped training centre in Middlesbrough to develop practical engineering competencies to achieve internationally-recognised qualifications.

The project is also supporting TAQA’s development of women technicians in the Kurdistan region with one member of the group a female process technician.

Within the group are three technicians working towards Level Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) Level 2 in mechanical engineering and three technicians aiming to achieve the PEO Electrical & Instrumentation Level 2 standard.

The seven remaining technicians are working towards the Process Industry Operations Level 2 qualification. Once completed, all of the qualifications allow for continual development to achieve Level 3.

Working with TTE’s internationally-experienced trainers, the technicians will utilise the training centre’s industry-standard facilities and equipment undertaking a programme of practical, hands-on modules and assessments.

TTE has an established reputation for providing on-site skills and competency assessments for international companies such as TAQA, which is headquartered in Abu Dhabi operating in 11 countries across four continents.

This is one of the first significant contracts TTE has secured since it became a Technical Institute earlier this year.  Marking its 30th year in operation, becoming TTE Technical Institute supports its strategy to increase the export of its services to international markets.

Technical Institutes are globally-acknowledged as centres of vocational training, providing learners with skills, competencies and qualifications to enter or advance a career in industry, which is in keeping with TTE’s existing, comprehensive provision.

Contracts such as this also support the training of young people in the North East of England. As a charitable, not-for-profit social enterprise, TTE gift-aids the surplus revenues generated from its commercial training to support the funding of training for apprentices and young learners from schools and colleges in the North East.

Steve Grant, Managing Director of the TTE Technical Institute, said: “We are very proud to establish this new relationship with such a globally-recognised company as TAQA to support the development of its workforce.  This is the another group we have welcomed to TTE from Kurdistan, further extending the reach of the organisation into international markets.

“Exporting our expertise to areas of the world such as West Africa, the Middle East and Asia plays an important role in the training of young people in the North East through the gift-aiding of commercial surpluses into our charity. Increasing our presence in key international markets and securing important projects with companies such as TAQA will generate more opportunities for local young people.”

(Source: TTE)