Posted on

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.

Posted on

KBR to help develop Iraq’s Ratawi Field

By John Lee.

US-based contractor KBR is to carry out the design work for Iraq’s Ratawi (aka Artawi) Central Complex development.

The work is part of the Ratawi gas-field project in Basra, which is being carried out by the South Gas Company (SGC) in cooperation with France’s TotalEnergies.

KBR’s involvement was confirmed in a statement from the Ministry of Oil today (Wednesday), following a meeting in Paris between Iraq’s Minister of Oil, Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail, and Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

The post KBR to help develop Iraq’s Ratawi Field first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Posted on

First National Conference to Address Early Marriage in Iraq

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Council of Ministers Secretariat (COMSEC), in partnership with the Women Empowerment Department (WED), and support from the United Kingdom, Sweden, France and Canada, organised a two-day conference to address early marriage in Iraq.

The conference, which took place on 11-12 June, recognised the alarming situation with early marriage which has increased from %21.7 to %25.5 for the past ten years in Iraq.

The event brought together government entities, local authorities, religious and tribal leaders, civil society organisations, young people, academia, and representatives of the international and donor community to discuss the root causes of early marriage, its impact and solutions to address it.

Representatives of the government of Iraq and the government of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, ambassadors, tribal and religious leaders, academia and experts shared profound evidence on the devastating consequences of early marriage on the socio-economic progress, psychological and physical health of young girls and boys, families, communities and society at large.

UNFPA Representative of Iraq, Dr Rita Columbia, said:

“Tribal communities and young people affected by early marriage have asked us to raise our voice and advocate more for women and girls’ rights and empowerment and take a step forward in addressing early marriage in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. This event shows the criticality of reducing early marriage to fulfill the rights of girls and women, and accelerate achievement of SDGs in Iraq.”

The conference participants discussed and elaborated recommendations that will be taken by the Women Empowerment Directorate under the leadership of the Secretary-General of the COMSEC to support the local authorities to reduce and prevent early marriage in Iraq.

The Early Marriage is #NotNormal also includes a social media campaign and a partnership with Rakuten’s Viber to promote the end of early marriage.

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

(Sources: Relief Web, UN)

The post First National Conference to Address Early Marriage in Iraq first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Posted on

US Law Firm Awarded for Iraq Advisory Role

By John Lee.

New York-based law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has won the Infrastructure and Energy Projects Team of the Year award at Law.com International’s Middle East Legal Awards 2022.

According to a press release from the firm, it “was recognized for advising on Iraq’s gas growth integrated project, one of the largest projects ever in Iraq.”

The firm represented the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and two Iraqi state-owned companies, Basra Oil Company (BOC) and South Gas Company (SGC), in the major $27-billion investment project with France’s TotalEnergies.

Cleary partner Andrew Bernstein and associate Jad Nasr were mentioned as part of the team advising the Iraqi government in a Law.com International article about the deal.

The firm had previously advised Iraq’s oil ministry on a $17.2 billion deal with Shell and Mitsubishi to develop the infrastructure required to process natural gas in the southern part of Iraq.

(Source: Cleary Gottlieb)

The post US Law Firm Awarded for Iraq Advisory Role first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Posted on

Iraqi Min of Oil Denies that TotalEnergies Deal is Stalled

By John Lee.

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has denied reports that its multi-billion-dollar deal with France’s TotalEnergies has stalled amid disputes over terms, and that it risks being scrapped by the next government.

On Monday, Reuters cited sources at the Ministry, and other oil industry sources, as saying that the deal was mired in disputes.

In a statement, the Ministry expressed its astonishment that the media reports include what it calls “inaccurate information.“

(Sources: Ministry of Oil, Reuters)

The post Iraqi Min of Oil Denies that TotalEnergies Deal is Stalled first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Posted on

French Oil Consultancy Wins Iraq Contract

By John Lee.

French-based petroleum consultancy Beicip Franlab has signed a deal to provide consultancy services to the Iraqi Oil Ministry’s Reservoirs & Fields Development Directorate.

The Minister of Oil and President of Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC), Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail, said that Franlab will give advice that can be used to develop the oil sector, stating that the contract will help the Ministry of Oil and the oil companies to make the right decisions to develop the oil reservoirs in the interest of the national economy and the development of the oil and gas industry in the country.

The French ambassador to Baghdad, Eric Chevalier, said the signing marks a new stage in the development of relations with Iraq in the field of oil, gas and energy.

The Representative of Beicip Franlab, Thierry Le Maux, said the deal will help extend the life of the oil and gas fields.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

The post French Oil Consultancy Wins Iraq Contract first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Posted on

INOC to be Partner in TotalEnergies Basra Projects

By John Lee.

The Iraqi cabinet has approved a plan for the newly-formed Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC) to be a financial partner with TotalEnergies in its projects in Basra.

It said it will support INOC to “maximize revenues and financial returns to the general budget.“

In September, TotalEnergies signed a number of major agreements covering several projects in the Basra region, designed to enhance the development of Iraq’s natural resources to improve the country’s electricity supply.

These agreements include:

  • The construction of a new gas gathering network and treatment units to supply the local power stations, with TotalEnergies also bringing its expertise to optimize the oil and gas production of the Ratawi field, by building and operating new capacities.
  • The construction of a large-scale seawater treatment unit to increase water injection capacities in southern Iraq fields without increasing water withdrawals as the country is currently facing a water-stress situation. This water injection is required to maintain pressure in several fields and as such will help optimizing the production of the natural resources in the Basra region.
  • The construction and operation of a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 1 GWp to supply electricity to the grid in the Basra region.

(Source: Govt of Iraq)

The post INOC to be Partner in TotalEnergies Basra Projects first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Posted on

TotalEnergies signs $10bn New Deals in Iraq

TotalEnergies, the Iraqi Ministries for oil and electricity, and the country’s National Investment Commission (NIC) have signed, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Iraq, major agreements covering several projects in the Basra region, designed to enhance the development of Iraq’s natural resources to improve the country’s electricity supply.

Iraq, a country rich in natural resources, is indeed experiencing electricity shortages while it faces a sharp increase in demand from the population.

TotalEnergies, with the support of the Iraqi authorities, on the one hand will invest in installations to recover gas that is being flared on three oil fields and as such supply gas to 1,5 GW of power generation capacity in a first phase growing to 3 GW in a second phase, and, on the other hand, will also develop 1 GWac of solar electricity generation capacity to supply the Basra regional grid.

These agreements include:

  • The construction of a new gas gathering network and treatment units to supply the local power stations, with TotalEnergies also bringing its expertise to optimize the oil and gas production of the Ratawi field, by building and operating new capacities.
  • The construction of a large-scale seawater treatment unit to increase water injection capacities in southern Iraq fields without increasing water withdrawals as the country is currently facing a water-stress situation. This water injection is required to maintain pressure in several fields and as such will help optimizing the production of the natural resources in the Basra region.
  • The construction and operation of a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 1 GWp to supply electricity to the grid in the Basra region.

These projects represent a total investment of approximately $10 billion (100% share).

Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies’ Chairman and CEO, said:

“These agreements signal our return through the front door to Iraq, the country where our Company was born in 1924. Our ambition is to assist Iraq in building a more sustainable future by developing access to electricity for its people through a more sustainable use of the country’s natural resources such as: reduction of gas flaring that generates air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, water resource management and development of solar energy.

“This project perfectly illustrates the new sustainable development model of TotalEnergies, a multi-energy Company which supports producing countries in their energy transition by combining the production of natural gas and solar energy to meet the growing demand for electricity. It also demonstrates how TotalEnergies can leverage its unique position in the Middle East, a region where the lowest-cost hydrocarbons are produced, to gain access to large-scale renewable projects.“

(Sources: TotalEnergies, Ministry of Oil)

The post TotalEnergies signs $10bn New Deals in Iraq first appeared on Iraq Business News.

Posted on

AA to distribute Laboratoires Gilbert in Iraq

Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) member AA for Global Trading and Commercial Agencies has announced that it has started importing the products of Laboratoires Gilbert of France to Iraq, as per an agreement signed in 2020.

Based in France’s Normandy region, Laboratoires Gilbert manufactures and markets 30 brands and 1,900 references such as Physiodose, Physiolac, Dolodent, Luc and Léa, Comptoir Aroma, Algotherm, Laino, Hei Poa, and Comptoir du Bain among others.

Currently, AA is the commercial agent of several brands including Metrex Research (USA), Laboratoires Gilbert (France) and Palmer’s (USA).

(Source: IBBC)

The post AA to distribute Laboratoires Gilbert in Iraq first appeared on Iraq Business News.