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| South Kurdistan oil & gas development | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 17 12, 1:25 (649,211 Views) | |
| ALAN | Dec 4 12, 1:05 Post #51 |
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1st International Conference on Petroleum and Mineral Resources 3 - 5 December, 2012 Koya, Kurdistan The South Kurdistan is one of the emerging areas in the Middle East, rich in oil, gas and mineral resources as well as underground water. However, until recently the political and security issues were such that the region was unable to take advantage of these resources. Nowadays Kurdistan is emerging as one of the fastest developing areas in the Middle East, with its universities playing a major role in this process. Koya University is one of the four institutions in the whole of Kurdistan with an Oil and Petroleum Department and hence is the ideal institution to host the First International Conference on Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The meetings offer a unique opportunity to academics and practitioners working in industry to meet and interact in an international forum and explore areas for future collaboration. The meeting will discuss how to develop the full potential of the region as well as enhance its presentation by working with partners all around the world. The conference will offer international industries the possibility of establishing contacts with organisations and professionals of a uniquely promising region in terms of oil, gas and mineral resources. The organisers will help to arrange meetings between delegates from abroad and local organisations and companies as well as universities. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 4 12, 5:07 Post #52 |
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| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 4 12, 10:38 Post #53 |
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Oil and gas conference opens in Erbil, 'exploration capital of the world' Oil and gas conference opens in Erbil, 'exploration capital of the world' TUE, 4 DEC 2012 12:43 | KRG.org Erbil, South Kurdistan, (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani yesterday at a major oil and gas conference said that the South Kurdistan is now an important part of the world’s energy map and plans to develop export routes in the near future. The Prime Minister was speaking at the CWC Kurdistan – Oil and Gas Conference in Erbil, capital of the South Kurdistan. He said, “We are working to identify bottlenecks in the export infrastructure, to create the right investment scenario, and to get more oil to the market. This means building additional feeder and export pipelines for Iraq, and that is what we are doing, in line with the authority that the Iraqi constitution has given the provinces of the South Kurdistan.” Emphasizing that these projects are not a threat to Iraq’s unity, the Prime Minister said, “Our policies, our achievements and our contracts are entirely consistent with Iraq’s constitution, and I stress again, the benefits will be shared by all Iraqis.” He also added that the success of the KRG’s policies has now inspired other governorates in Iraq to push for recognition of their Constitutional rights as well. Pointing out that the Iraqi Government frequently uses the federal budget and control of natural resources to apply political pressure, Prime Minister Barzani said that if Iraq wants to succeed, it has to implement the constitution and avoid centralising power and authority. He said, “Iraq’s oil and gas revenues must be used to help and support the aspirations of the current and future generations, and not to buy expensive weapons and create crises involving the country in more problems.” The Prime Minister said that Iraq needs to develop an oil and gas policy based on cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), not competition, and urged the federal government to pass an oil and gas law as soon as possible, as well as a revenue-sharing law. He said, “Our goals for Iraq are simple and principled – we want a federal, pluralistic, and democratic system that serves the needs of all Iraqis, and protects the economic and political freedoms we cherish. We want to make certain that our energy resources are used to improve the lives and dreams of our people, to provide security, prosperity, and a higher quality of life for all.” Dr Ashti Hawrami, the KRG Minister for Natural Resources, also addressed the conference. He said, “We will continue to have constructive dialogue with our colleagues in Baghdad, to find a way to resolve the outstanding issues between us." He added, "In 2012, after the entry of Exxon Mobil, there followed a flood of other companies, such as Chevron, Total and Gazprom, and others are coming in as we speak. Now Taqa, the Abu Dhabi national energy company, has decided to take a position on exploration in Kurdistan.” On oil exports, Dr Hawrami said that at the KRG’s initiative, the South Kurdistan started exporting again a few months ago. This led to the September 13th agreement with Baghdad, which commits the KRG to an average of 200,000 barrels per day of exports by the end of this year, and an average of 250,000 barrels per day in 2013. The agreement is binding on both sides, and was signed by the Council of Ministers in Baghdad. The KRG is already fulfilling this agreement and is on track for next year’s target. In return, the KRG expects the oil companies in the South Kurdistan to be paid by Baghdad. The first payment of $540 million dollars was made in the last few days, and the second payment is expected to be paid by the end of this year. Dr Roj Nouri Shawis, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, also gave a keynote address at the first day of the conference, highlighting Iraq's energy reserves and future production capacity. He said that the Federal Government is trying to remove legal and administrative obstacles so that foreign companies can invest in the energy sector, and added that the 13 September 2012 agreement with the KRG on oil export payments was an important step towards resolving outstanding issues. Turkey’s Deputy Energy Minister, Dr Selahattin Cimen, gave a keynote speech on Turkey’s role as an energy transmission hub from East to West and from South to North. Dr Cimen said, “The trade sector is an important part of our relations, and collaboration between the KRG and Turkey to transfer oil and gas to the world markets will strengthen our ties. What energy markets need most is a free market, transparency and secure supply. In this context, the KRG reaching out to supply the world will be a breath of fresh air for the world markets.” Minister Cimen referred to the 15 October 2009 MOU between Iraq and Turkey to build a natural gas corridor. He also said that Ceyan is set to become the largest oil outlet terminal in the Eastern Mediterranean. The two-day conference was opened by Dr Alirio Parra, Venezuela’s former energy minister and a board member of CWC Group. Dr Parra said, “In welcoming you to this conference today. Erbil is the exploration capital of the world at a time of exceptional growth. He added, “Three of the five largest oil companies in the world are here with us. It is unprecedented to have such a high number of large companies in an area that is for exploration.” Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the former British ambassador to the UN, chaired the first day of the conference. Other speakers included Mr Qubad Talabani, KRG Minister for Coordination and Follow-up, and representatives of several oil and gas companies. Day two of the conference will feature Keynote addresses from the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Taner Yıldız, and the KRG Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Imad Ahmad Sayfour, as well as a large number of other officials and industry experts. KRG.org |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 5 12, 3:57 Post #54 |
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Oil groups receive payments of $160 million from Kurdistan December 4, 2012 OSLO,— DNO International ASA ("DNO International"), the Norwegian oil and gas company, was advised by the Kurdistan Regional Government that a payment of USD 160 million was transferred last night for distribution to the foreign members of the Tawke joint venture in partial payment for past oil exports of oil from the Tawke field in the South Kurdistan of Iraq. DNO International's share of the payment is USD 116 million with the balance to be transferred to partner Genel Energy plc. DNO International will record its share of the payment in the fourth quarter of 2012. This is the third payment received by DNO International for oil exported from the Tawke field during 2009, 2011 and 2012. Previous payments were received in September 2011 for USD 60 million and in June 2011 for USD 104 million, bringing the total received from Baghdad for exports to USD 280 million. "We are pleased to receive this latest payment as we continue to increase production capacity at Tawke and develop our other Kurdistan discoveries," said Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, DNO International's Executive Chairman. DNO International is the operator and holds 55 percent interest of the Tawke license. DNO International ASA is an Oslo-listed, Middle East and North Africa focused, oil and gas company holding stakes in 17 licenses in various stages of exploration, development and production both onshore and offshore in the South Kurdistan of Iraq, the Republic of Yemen, the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and the Tunisian Republic--- Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, Reuters | dno.no |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 5 12, 7:09 Post #55 |
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Phase 3 expansion of the Bazian Refinery | Bazian![]() Qaiwan is also going to begin its Phase 3 expansion of the Bazian Refinery in early 2013 to bring the total output to 72,000 barrels a day. Refined Petroleum Of International Quality In Qaiwan Group’s timeline, 2009 marks an important alliance. It was then that Qaiwan & BezhanPet overtook operations of Bazian Oil Refinery in the Suleymanie region. With the help and guidance of international expertise the refinery was turned into one of Iraq’s most efficient refineries. The refinery is currently one of two refineries in the South Kurdistan, consistently producing refined petroleum products of the highest order. This remarkable growth and productivity has enabled Qaiwan to expand the refinery and increase its output to 34,000 bbl. http://www.qaiwangroup.com/BETA/ http://www.qaiwangroup.com/BETA/qaiwan_towers.php?main_me_id=4&main_top_id=2#ad-image-0 ![]()
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| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 5 12, 11:11 Post #56 |
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Kurdistan cut oil export by 50% till Baghdad pay international firm dues Shafaq News/Kurdistan Regional Government announced a reduction in oil export to the half until Baghdad pay international firms working in the region their debts, some technical troubles have also contributed to the cut, Kurdistan Natural resources advisor told "Shafaq News" on Wednesday. The advisor of natural resources ministry, Ali Hussein Ballo, told "Shafaq News" the ministry announced that a technical problem resulted in halfing crude oil export in the region explaining that "the non-commitment by the Iraqi government might be the reason behind such problem because it has not pay the required amount of money for those firms yet". Ballo said that "in accordance to the agreement between Baghdad and Erbil signed on Nov. 29, it is supposed that Iraqi government pay those firms 350,000 million dollars within a week, but Baghdad has not fulfilled its pledge", adding that Iraq's deputy prime minister of energy issues, Hussein al-Shahrestani has recently released statements saying "Baghdad will not pay such money" Gas and oil are one of the conflicted issues between Baghdad and Erbil, as Kurdistan demand to quickly step toward legislating oil and gas law in order to be considered as a reference in such disputes, Baghdad insist on excluding oil exploration and exportation within its authorities. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 6 12, 3:27 Post #57 |
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Well said Heval I think few MPs in our parliament asked for these things too not sure if they would be listen to anytime soon. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 6 12, 6:31 Post #58 |
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Does Turkey have a Kurdish policy? And an energy one? December/06/2012- OPINION/ MURAT YETKİN Right after landing in Kayseri airport on his way to Hewlêr – due to the objection of Baghdad - Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız told reporters that Turkey would not be affected by the Iraqi government’s obstruction and would keep going on its own way. Yıldız was pointing to a Turkish policy about Iraq’s rich oil and gas fields; in particular, those that lay in the northern part of Iraq bordering Turkey, which is under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The KRG forces and the central Iraqi army were about to clash as recently as last week, mainly over oil and gas rights, which could be averted with the intervention of the United States. Tony Hayward, the former head of British Petroleum and now of Ankara-based Genel Enerji, which has a lot of investments in the region, keeps saying that the fields in the KRG area are the last untapped resources on earth and they would find a way out to markets whatever the political obstructions are. Estimates claim that there are 45 billion barrels of oil and 3.5 trillion cubic meters of gas waiting to be surfaced in the region. That is why many major energy companies of the world - from Exxon and Chevron of the U.S. to Total of France and Gazprom of Russia - have already invested in the region, risking their rights in the south of Iraq after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s ultimatum. The scene is an oil rush, perhaps the last one in the Middle East. Turkey doesn’t want to stay out of this oil rush next to its borders. That is why Yıldız was on his way to attend an “Oil and Gas Conference” in Hewlêr , where the office of Massoud Barzani, the president of the KRG, is located. One has to recall that up until a few years ago, the same Tayyip Erdoğan government in Turkey was protesting its Western allies for having relations with Barzani and thus encouraging Kurdish independence there. What’s more, the military headquarters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting a war against Turkey for independence for the last 30 years, is still based in the Kandil Mountains within the borders of the KRG. While following this pragmatic foreign and energy policy outside Turkey, inside it Erdoğan is trying to lift the parliamentary immunities of the Kurdish problem-focused Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies, while also supporting the re-establishment of talks with the imprisoned-for-life leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan. These come at the same time as fierce clashes continue between Turkish security forces and the PKK militants. It is not realistic and sustainable for the Turkish government to follow two Kurdish policies inside and outside Turkey, as this has started to affect almost every walk of politics now - from energy, to diplomacy, to security. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 7 12, 5:49 Post #59 |
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Kurdistan Pushes Limits on Oil, Autonomy VOA NEWS, Mark Snowiss, November 13, 2012 With Kurds asserting themselves throughout the Middle East, Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region has stepped up its profile on the world's oil scene. A series of recent petroleum deals signals a direct challenge to Baghdad's claim of total control over the country's oil exports and a possible step by the Kurds toward their longstanding aspirations for increased autonomy, or outright independence. Within the last few months, Kurdistan Regional Government, or KRG, has begun construction on a major international oil and gas pipeline project with neighboring Turkey that would allow the Kurds direct access to world markets via the Mediterranean. The KRG has also expanded exploration deals with foreign oil majors and boosted a growing crude-for-products trade with Turkish companies. The moves reveal that Kurds want to make their own economic choices. Deals cause tensions The deals have not only rankled Iraq's central government but also deepened the diplomatic rift between Ankara and Baghdad. And they present internal problems for energy-hungry Turkey, too, which is fighting insurgents among its Kurdish minority who have long pushed for more freedoms. Ankara faces enormous risks were it to throw its economic support solely behind Kurds. "Turkey wants to retain Iraq’s territorial integrity and political stability. It doesn’t want to encourage any kind of autonomy in Turkey or with any of the other Kurdish populations nearby," said former U.S. international energy envoy David Goldwyn. "Also, Kurdistan’s economic prosperity keeps Kurds happy there and is a significant commercial opportunity for Turkish companies. So [there are] complicated, mixed interests on both sides," he said. Rich oil reserves The Kurdish-run provinces have significant, nearly untapped reserves. But years of legal disputes between the KRG and federal authorities in Baghdad have kept its oil largely excluded from international markets. Most oil produced in Kurdistan is sold locally for up to $60 a barrel, well below world prices. With its sole grip on federal authority, Baghdad receives all Iraqi oil revenues and distributes a share to the South Kurdistan. Iraq also controls the vast, lucrative oil fields in the south. In April, the KRG temporarily halted exports to protest what it said were overdue payments from the central government. Shipments were restarted in August and increased in September, when Iraq’s federal Cabinet ratified a new agreement with the Kurds. Kurdish Oil Minister Ashti Hawrami told an energy conference in London the deal could lead to exports reaching 250,000 barrels per day by 2013. Kurdish officials project levels of one million barrels a day by 2015. The heady outlook is contingent on the KRG’s recent deal with Ankara, which bypasses the federally-controlled Iraqi pipeline and is due to be operational by early 2014. "If the new pipeline go through," said Middle East expert Gregory Gause, "Baghdad’s leverage over the Kurds would be reduced to zero." Over-stated oil claims But some analysts say Kurdish oil claims are over-inflated. Roughly 75 percent of Iraq’s proven reserves are concentrated in the south. The Kurds control only about six percent of the remaining northern reserves while another 20 percent is in the disputed Kirkuk area, according to the U.S.-based Revenue Watch. "Kurdistan does not have 45 million barrels of oil as it claims. Most of that is in disputed territories that would never be included or accepted by the central government," said Denise Natali, a Kurdish expert at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Iraq's southern oil fields are the country's "real jewel," she said. But Iraq remains in political turmoil and the south, in particular, has faced repeated deadly attacks from extremist elements seeking to destabilize the country. For now, the Kurdish regional government provides better financial terms to oil companies. "Its stable political environment is attracting international investment in a way Baghdad has been unable to do," Gause said. Last year, ExxonMobil became the first oil major to sign with the KRG, aggravating relations with Baghdad "by taking exploration blocks located squarely in disputed territories," according to a report by the International Crisis Group. Chevron, France’s Total and Russia’s Gazprom have followed. An estimated 45 smaller petroleum companies also are operating in Kurdistan. Last month, Iraq’s finance ministry belatedly transferred an initial $650 million payment to the Kurdish government to reimburse two of these firms. But Baghdad does not view the compensation as an endorsement of the Kurdish contracts. In a further slap to the Iraqi government, diplomatic sources said last month that Exxon is looking to sell its stake in a flagship project to develop the giant West Qurna-1 oil field in southern Iraq, because profits there are thin. Exxon has declined to comment. Kurds cautioned Former envoy Goldwyn cautioned Kurdish leaders not to overplay their hand. "The Kurds have some serious cards. But if Baghdad continues to refuse to reimburse costs once those costs become significant — four-five years out — [it] could decidedly hamstring the KRG’s economic development," he said. Iraq's federal government maintains it alone has the right to negotiate contracts and export oil and gas. The Kurdish view is that Iraq’s federal constitution provides delegated authority to the provinces over their own petroleum production. "The constitution gives us the right to develop our oil infrastructure and share it with the rest of the country," said Fuad Hussein, chief of staff for the KRG presidency. "Each community, each citizen, has a share in the wealth, along with the Iraqi government," he said. Ultimately, Goldwyn and others say, the crux of the dispute is about sovereignty, not money. In the near term, the Kurds will remain part of Iraq even as they seek to increase their oil hand. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 7 12, 6:11 Post #60 |
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Gulf Keystone Petroleum: What Is The 14 Billion Barrel Shaikan Field Worth? Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GUKYF.PK) (GFKSY.PK) is a UK company exploring for oil in the South Kurdistan of Iraq. Gulf Keystone's main exchange is London and they are listed there under GKP. Long story short, in 2009, GKP discovered a massive field in the Shaikan PSC block of Kurdistan. Current estimates for OOIP are around 14 billion barrels with recoverable amounts of 2.25 billion barrels. You can read more about the field here. I think there is a lot of misinformation on what exactly GKP owns. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how much oil GKP has at Shaikan due to the terms of the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and also try to estimate what Shaikan is worth: Slide 6 of their most recent presentation shows recoverable oil in Shaikan of 2250 million barrels. The PSC is laid out here on slide 8. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) takes 10% off the top for royalty. Of the remaining 90%, 40% of this is allocated for the contractors to recover costs. The remaining 60% is the profit oil. Of this 60%, the contractors portion is determined by an R factor which is based on the contractors revenues divided by costs. The most they can receive of this 60% is 30% and the minimum is 15%. Let's work in gross terms for now (all numbers are in millions). From above we have 2250 recoverable oil in Shaikan. Take off 10% for KRG royalty and we are down to 2025. The cost recovery oil is 40% of this which is 810 leaving 1215 for profit oil. The contractors maximum claim to the profit oil is 30% which is 365. So far, the maximum the contractors have claim to is 810 barrels of cost recovery oil and 365 profit oil. In 2010, the PSC was amended and a Capacity Building Bonus was added that is 40% of the contractors profit oil. This leaves the contractors with 60% of the maximum profit oil which is 219. In total, the contractors can count 1029 barrels of oil as reserves down to a possible low of 919 by using the lowest possible percentage of profit oil. GKP's diluted WI is 54.3% in the Shaikan block. So in total, on the high side, 559 million barrels are net to GKP and the low side is 499 million barrels. Obviously it is the KRG who wins with these PSCs, however, the companies have to agree to them to be able to explore the blocks. The actual net reserves (559 MMbbls) GKP will have is around 46% of their WI barrels (2250 * 54.3%= 1222 MMbbls). It seems incredibly low, but this is typical of these types of contracts and the Shaikan PSC is actually much better than what Genel (GEGYF.PK) has on the Taq Taq block. Genel is only netting out around 22% of their WI reserves. On the net worth side of these reserves, we can also look to Genel for some NPV values on Kurdistan reserves. According to the Genel website (Taq Taq and Tawke), Genel is valuing the finds at around $30/bbl NPV10. Applying this same valuation to Shaikan would value GKP's 559 million barrels at $16.77 billion. Current GKP market cap is around a paltry $3 billion. That is tremendous upside on Shaikan alone. GKP has many other assets along with Shaikan, including deeper targets below Shaikan. On the flip side, there are also many other things that have kept the valuation of the company down: the lawsuit with Excalibur, the lack of export capacity, the inability of Kurdistan and Iraq to agree on the oil and gas law, and just plain old political instability. The lawsuit with Excalibur seems like a shakedown that I am confident GKP will win. Excalibur has been asked to reveal who is backing them monetarily and I doubt they will do that so I believe the case will be dismissed. The lack of export capacity is going to be changed with a pipeline to Turkish ports that should be completed in late 2013. The instability of the region is, no doubt, a huge overhang. The recent entries of Chevron (CVX) and ExxonMobil (XOM) to Kurdistan should bring a little bit of calm to the region. The Iraqi government has already been dealt a huge blow in their last lease offering by placing a clause in the leases saying the contractors could not work with the Kurds. This was almost universally shunned and the sale was woefully undersubscribed. GKP has found massive amounts of oil at Shaikan and still has other assets to explore and appraise. As the aforementioned roadblocks slowly disappear, I would expect the share price to rise dramatically to bring more value to Shaikan. A 5x rise from here would not be out of the question. Watch for a takeover of GKP as well. XOM, CVX, or even another major would certainly love to get a piece of the massive reserves at Shaikan. http://m.seekingalpha.com/article/739961 |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 9 12, 3:12 Post #61 |
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This is a message to all iraqis; 'you will get 0 kurdish lands, and you will give back almost every Kurdish land you have stolen from us since our region was attached to never seen peace iraq in 1923 (thanks to britis and french), you will NEVER gain access to turkey via our lands NEVER, Fishkhabur is Kurdish does willayat Mosul ring a bell to you bunch of headless chickens ? show me a time in history before 1923 that Fishkhabur was 'i-raqi' !? exactly so hush it please, you have to fight us for Kirkuk and that is it, nothing else is up for negotiation'. your iraqi sectarian militia already tried to "occupy" Fishkhabur but we stopped you in Zumar, we will NEVER let anyone come between south Kurdistan and west Kurdistan. maliki has bought the White iraqiya list who split from iraqiya list and few days ago asked for Kurdistan budget to be reduced to 13%, this is my response to its leader and all ssc and iraqis who call for cut of Kurdistan budget: 'we deserve more than 17% as Kurdistan population is more than 17%, if you want to know why dont you ask your boss to conduct a census? also we will ask for more and we have coped Anfal and Halabja by iraqis in the past so iraq will be paying Kurdistan for a very long time. and even if you add the whole of 17% from KRG to other iraqi cities it will change nothing as currently they get alot but gets stolen into the pockets of your corrupt government officials, you are no1 corrupted country in the world for a reason' :thumbsup: |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 10 12, 1:02 Post #62 |
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Erbil, South Kurdistan, (KRG.org) – The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative will for the first time include the South Kurdistan’s oil and gas payments in its report. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) every year publishes how much oil, gas and other extractive industry companies pay to governments, and how much the governments receive, and looks at any differences between these amounts. The EITI promotes transparency of the natural resources sector. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been working to implement the principles of the EITI, which are enshrined in the Kurdistan Oil and Gas Law of 2007, so that the South Kurdistan’s efforts and achievements will be reported in this year’s EITI Iraq Report for the first time. The report, which will be published at the end of this year, includes a dedicated chapter ON KURDISTAN. For some time, the KRG has made available online its oil and gas sector Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) [link to the PSAs]. According to Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, "The KRG is fully committed to further meaningful steps in the effort to eradicate corruption. This is an ongoing challenge to our government and our people as we seek to modernize our institutions and our social and political attitudes. The occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day reminds us to re-double our efforts at all levels and to build a more transparent and open system in which all segments of society can have trust and confidence. We have made progress, but there is much more work to be done." On International Anti-Corruption Day December 9th 2012, the KRG pledges to continue tackling corruption. As well as participating in the EITI, the KRG has been carrying out internal administrative procedural reviews. The KRG has also engaged with the World Bank to look into economic growth factors, modernising procurement, and participating in the Revenue Transparency project. These initiatives will help the KRG to take the right steps towards more efficient administrative procedures. Iraq remains at a low score in this year’s Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, which was released last week. The KRG’s Office of Governance & Integrity believes that the South Kurdistan should be rated separately from the rest of Iraq, and has been discussing this possibility with Transparency International. December 9th was designated by the UN as International Anti-Corruption Day to highlight the importance and dangers of corruption for the international community and as a reminder of the damage it causes to economic progress and efficiency. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 11 12, 3:02 Post #63 |
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An ocean of reserves waiting to be tapped By Guy Chazan, the Financial Times Richard Lowe faces a dilemma most oilmen can only dream about: what on earth is he to do with 14 billion barrels of crude? Mr Lowe’s company, a small London-listed explorer called Gulf Keystone, found the oil in question in Shaikan, in Kurdistan, in 2009. It was one of the world’s largest onshore discoveries in more than 20 years. Stretching for miles under a ridge of brown, rugged hills near the Turkish border, Shaikan is huge. Yet its sheer size is problematic. “The big question is – where do you start?” says Mr Lowe, Gulf Keystone’s drilling manager. “The field is almost too big.” Oil finds such as Shaikan have made Kurdistan, an autonomous region, one of the biggest draws in the global oil industry. It has attracted $10bn in investment from foreign oil companies – a vast amount for a country of only 4.9m people. “It is almost the only place in the Middle East where the private sector can explore virgin territory,” says Tony Hayward, the former chief executive of BP who runs the Kurdistan-focused oil explorer Genel Energy. Initially, the region was the playground of wildcatters – small buccaneers with a big appetite for risk. But now the big boys are moving in. Over the past year, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Total have been grabbing some of the 45bn barrels of oil thought to lie underneath Kurdistan. Ashti Hawrami, Kurdistan’s minister of natural resources, forecasts a wave of consolidation as the majors swoop in. The number of operators in the region will, he says, soon shrink from 50 to 20 or less. “We’re moving from the small and the beautiful to the large and the magnificent,” he told the Financial Times. The big oil companies are coming despite a somewhat precarious legal environment. For years, Kurdistan has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with Iraq’s central government over who owns the region’s oil. Baghdad says the Kurdistan Regional Government, or KRG, lacks the authority to sign contracts with western energy groups and has declared them illegal. In April 2012, the KRG suspended crude shipments from the region in protest at Baghdad’s delays in disbursing $1.5bn owed to operators in Kurdistan. Since then circumstances have improved. In August, the KRG restarted exports as a goodwill gesture and, a month later, the central government agreed to pay foreign companies what they were owed for their oil. The Kurdish authorities reciprocated by agreeing to increase exports. The deal enabled Gulf Keystone to resume production at Shaikan after a near five-month hiatus. “It’s a huge relief that we’re able to start again,” says Mr Lowe. Some 30 tankers a day are loading up at Shaikan and taking its crude to local refineries. The September agreement was extraordinary in that it seemed to acknowledge the legitimacy of KRG contracts. Mr Hawrami says Baghdad realised that the most important priority was to make sure oil flows were resumed in full – regardless of which companies were producing it under what contracts. The view was “now Kurdistan must export the oil and we need the revenue,” he says. “Any stranded oil is not to the benefit of Iraq.” He called the deal “a win-win”. It is not hard to tell that Kurdistan is sitting on a bountiful resource. On the northern side of Gulf Keystone’s Shaikan field, Mr Lowe points visitors to crude oil oozing out of the limestone rock and dribbling down in dense black seeps. Iraqi geologists knew about the area’s potential. “These fields should have been discovered 30 or 40 years ago,” says Mr Lowe. Leaving them untapped was, he says, part of a policy of neglect designed to keep the Kurdish population down. Instead, Iraq focused on the huge fields around Basra and Kirkuk. That has redounded to the Kurds’ advantage. “If these oil reserves had been developed 30 years ago, all the benefit would have gone to Saddam Hussein and his family,” says an Erbil-based diplomat. “It’s the only time the Kurds have been thankful to Saddam for something.” It was only after 2006, when Mr Hawrami was appointed minister, that Kurdistan’s oil industry really took off. He has been credited with creating Kurdistan’s oil sector – with its complex contractual and regulatory framework – from scratch. “It’s an amazing achievement in difficult circumstances,” says one diplomat. Unlike the oilfields of southern Iraq, which had export pipelines linked to the Gulf, Kurdistan’s were stranded, with no outlet to wider markets. The area was largely unexplored and there was confusion over whether they had the right to sign their own contracts. But according to Mr Hawrami’s view of Iraq’s 2005 constitution, under which the country’s oil and gas was “owned by the people of Iraq in all the regions and governates”, they did. He started allocating blocks of exploration acreage in production-sharing agreements – contracts that offer oil companies the potential for handsome profits. Initially, small companies took the bait but their success encouraged larger competitors. Mr Lowe says seven out of 10 exploration wells drilled in Kurdistan are commercially successful – a “strike rate” with few parallels. As the oil companies’ presence expanded, Kurdistan changed – fast. In the early days, Erbil was a provincial backwater and, as in all of Iraq, power came on for only a couple of hours a day. The city had one decent hotel, the Sheraton, built in the late 1970s. It felt like a “Wild West frontier town”, recalls one oil engineer who lived there then. Now it is booming. Planes full of businessmen fly into Erbil’s new international airport from Dubai, Vienna and Istanbul. Five-star hotels tower over a cityscape dotted with cranes and vast construction sites. The pace of development will increase. In 2008, there were only three drilling rigs in Kurdistan. This year there are 24 and next year there will be 40. Production, at about 200,000 barrels a day, will reach 250,000 b/d next year. By 2015, Kurdistan hopes to be exporting 1m b/d. To achieve that will need a major reconfiguration of the region’s export infrastructure. The current Baghdad-controlled pipeline is plagued by bottlenecks. Many believe that Kurdistan will build its own pipeline into Turkey, giving it full control over exports. If that happens, the KRG will receive oil revenues directly from Turkey, rather than via Baghdad. This will give the KRG the economic independence many Kurds have long craved and build on the close relationship evolving between Kurdistan and its neighbour, Turkey. “Kurdistan is going to emerge as a major contributor to global oil supplies by the end of this decade – possibly sooner,” says Mr Hayward. KRG.org |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 11 12, 3:03 Post #64 |
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..... lol
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| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 13 12, 12:20 Post #65 |
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Kurdistan crude flow cut by 75,000 bpd on technical problem KIRKUK,— The Kurdistan's oil exports from Khurmala oilfields to Turkey's Ceyhan port through Kirkuk have been suspended, a source from the North Oil Company (NOC) said on Tuesday. Crude flow from autonomous Kurdistan has been cut by around 75,000 barrels per day because of a technical problem at Khurmala oilfield though the region's Tawke and Taq Taq fields are still at normal output, Iraqi oil sources said on Tuesday. The three fields usual produce around 180,000 bpd from Kurdistan, which has been caught in a long-running dispute with the country's central government in Baghdad over control of oil resources and territories. Kurdistan has in the past halted its share of national oil exports to protest for payments by the central government to oil companies working in its region. Baghdad made an initial payment to Kurdistan for foreign oil companies in October, but a second payment is still due. Reuters |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 13 12, 4:14 Post #66 |
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Turkey weighs pivotal oil deal with Kurdistan ANKARA, Turkey — American diplomats are struggling to prevent a seismic shift in Turkey’s policy toward Iraq, a change that U.S. officials fear could split the foundations of that fractious state. The most volatile fault line in Iraq divides the semiautonomous South Kurdistan in the north from the Arab-majority central government in Baghdad. As the two sides fight for power over territory and oil rights, Turkey is increasingly siding with the Kurds. Kurdish and Turkish leaders have had a budding courtship for five years. But now Turkey is negotiating a massive deal in which a new Turkish company, backed by the government, is proposing to drill for oil and gas in autonomous South Kurdistan and build pipelines to transport those resources to international markets. The negotiations were confirmed by four senior Turkish officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of political sensitivities. “Turkey hasn’t needed to ask what we think of this, because we tell them at every turn,” said a senior U.S. official involved in Middle East policymaking, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with the media. The official said that any bilateral energy deals with the South Kurdistan would “threaten the unity of Iraq and push [Prime Minister Nouri] al-Maliki closer to Iran.” South Kurdistan has already staked out significant autonomy, providing its own public services, controlling airports and borders, and commanding police and army forces. The energy deal with Turkey would all but sever Kurdistan’s economic dependence on Baghdad, which is perhaps the primary tie that still binds the two sides. “We are having serious discussions with the [Turkish] company,” said Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government. “We hope they participate in the region.” The Turkish government has not made a final decision. Energy Minister Taner Yildiz is leading a review of the deal, according to senior Turkish officials, and expects to issue a formal recommendation to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by the end of the year. Turkey’s moves come at an especially volatile time for the region. Along Turkey’s southern border, Syria’s Kurdish minority has gained control of a large expanse of territory in the midst of a civil war. That instability has worried Turkish leaders, who have used their sway over the South Kurdish leadership — both Prime Minister Barzani and his uncle, Massoud Barzani, Kurdistan’s powerful president — to help ensure that they exert a benign influence in Syria. Iraq is also in crisis. On Nov. 16, a minor confrontation between Kurdish security forces and Iraqi soldiers combusted into a deadly firefight. Since then, both sides have deployed thousands of troops, as well as tanks and artillery, to each side of their contested border, where they remain within firing range. Strategic shift Erdogan has left little doubt where his sympathies lie, accusing Maliki of “leading Iraq toward a civil war.” Yet Turkey’s embrace of the KRG Kurds is not just a function of personal enmity. Rather, it represents a deliberate strategic shift that has upended the conventional wisdom that once governed Turkish policy toward Iraq. After the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Turkey advocated against giving autonomy to Kurds, fearing that such a precedent might strengthen Turkey’s Kurdish minority in its quest for greater rights and self-governance. Turkey also was wary that any KRG Kurdish territory would become a haven for the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known by the acronym PKK, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization. In 2007, Erdogan began to soften that stance. He took primary responsibility for his Iraq policy away from the military and gave it to a diplomat named Murat Ozcelik. “My instructions from the prime minister were to build ties with the Kurds,” Ozcelik said. U.S. diplomats encouraged the rapprochement. By pursuing economic cooperation, Turkey could form a bulwark of mutual interest with mainstream KRG Kurds who might otherwise be inclined to sympathize with the PKK’s nationalism. Turkey also recognized the strategic value of South Kurdistan’s abundant oil and gas resources, which had barely been explored under previous regimes. Turkey’s economy was growing rapidly, at an average annual rate of about 5 percent. To sustain that growth — and the enormous popularity it brought Erdogan — Turkey would need new energy supplies. Moreover, Turkey’s ambitious leaders aspired to elevate their country to the highest echelons of international diplomacy. To do that, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has argued, Turkey should leverage its geographical position at the crossroads of East and West into geopolitical power. One way to accomplish this, he suggests, is to make Turkey a transit hub for energy. “The Foreign Ministry’s analysis was that relations with Baghdad are important, but relations with the Kurds are strategic,” said Serhat Erkmen, the Middle East political adviser at ORSAM, a research institute connected to the Foreign Ministry. That idea now frames Turkey’s Iraq policy, according to several officials charged with implementing it. Ozcelik said he initially envisioned that a strong relationship with the Kurds could help Turkey referee the persistent disputes between Irbil, the capital of the South Kurdistan, and Baghdad. But political progress has been elusive. Instead, Baghdad and Irbil have fought their battles largely through their oil policymaking. Kurdish leaders enlisted international companies to develop oil and gas resources, including in territory whose official status is contested. Baghdad responded by banning any company that contracted with the Kurdish regional government from southern Iraq’s much larger oil fields — a policy that secured the loyalty of the world’s biggest energy companies, including Turkey’s state oil company, Turkish Petroleum, or TPAO. That stalemate was broken in October 2011, when Exxon Mobil, which was already developing an enormous oil field under a contract with Baghdad, decided to defy the ban and sign contracts with the Kurdish government, including three swaths of disputed land. By doing so, it implicitly endorsed Irbil’s expansive claims of contracting and territorial authority. Exxon Mobil’s move was pivotal, said a senior Turkish official involved in foreign and energy policymaking. “Here is Exxon coming in, and what is Turkey supposed to do? Keep waiting? There will be nothing left for us!” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of political sensitivities. This calculus led Turkey to accelerate its courtship with Irbil, according to several officials in the Turkish foreign and energy ministries. At the beginning of this year, Turkish and South Kurdish leaders began to discuss the details of a strategic energy partnership — culminating in the exploration and pipeline deal under consideration. Obama administration officials as high-ranking as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have advocated against such moves, according to the Turkish officials involved in the deal, warning that bilateral pipelines would open a route for the Kurds to circumvent Baghdad’s authority over oil exports. That, in turn, would bring the Kurds a big step closer to independence. The State Department and the White House declined to confirm these accounts or to comment on their efforts to discourage Turkish investment in KRG Kurdistan. South Kurdish leaders have denied that they are seeking independence, but they confirm that they are using energy deals to achieve their political goals of greater autonomy. Turkish leaders also insist that they have no interest in an independent Kurdistan. Erdogan’s foreign policy strategists say that Turkey will always have power over the pipelines and, with that leverage, can help keep Iraq united. “They need us in terms of their outreach to the world, especially in light of their problems with the central administration,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said. “And Turkey still supports the unity of Iraq.” While Erdogan has recently been happy to showcase his rapport with South Kurdish leaders, his relationship with Maliki has never been worse. Erdogan has given harbor in Istanbul to Iraq’s fugitive vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, who was sentenced to death over allegations of running a sectarian death squad; Erdogan also has backed Maliki’s political opponents, including their unsuccessful effort in the summer to remove the prime minister through a no-confidence vote. The Obama administration has argued that Turkey’s diplomatic clout and investment dollars make it an important counterweight in Iraq against Iran. If Turkey were to write off southern Iraq as a lost cause, U.S. diplomats worry, Iran would fill the breach by increasing its political and economic presence there, gaining even more influence over Maliki. But those arguments have not resonated in Ankara, where many senior officials think a major energy partnership with South Kurdistan is imminent. “U.S. support would be appreciated,” said one official involved in the deal, “but it’s not a condition.” |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 15 12, 3:45 Post #67 |
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Kurdistan: The World Capital of Oil Exploration PNA - Dr Alirio Parra, Venezuela’s Former Energy Minister & CWC Group Board Member, officially opened the Kurdistan-Iraq Oil & Gas 2012 Conference, which was held at the Saad Palace Convention Centre, Erbil, Kurdistan, 3-5 December 2012. In his opening keynote address, Dr Parra remarked “Kurdistan is the exploration capital of the world at a time of exceptional growth”, a statement industry experts acknowledge and therefore recognize Kurdistan Oil & Gas as a key annual event in the oil and gas sector, for providing a unique platform for international investors to discover lucrative opportunities in Kurdistan-Iraq. “Three of the five largest oil companies in the world are here with us. It is unprecedented to have such a high number of large companies in an area that is for exploration and investment.” Dr Alirio Parra, Venezuela’s Former Energy Minister & CWC Group Board Member The Conference focused on Kurdistan position as a key player in global energy security through programme sessions centred on attracting investment from across the oil and gas value chain and the role of international companies on the road to reaching 1MBD target in oil production. Recent discoveries made in oil exploration and technological advances were key discussions that took place to determine Kurdistan-Iraq’s position on the world energy map. Prime Minister, H.E. Nechirvan Barzani promoted the South Kurdistan as an important part of the world’s oil and gas industry in his ministerial keynote session and he further announced his plans to develop export routes for oil produced in the near future and the investment this requires. Barzani further stated “the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is working to identify bottlenecks in the export infrastructure, to create the right investment scenario and to get more oil to the market. This means building additional feeder and export pipelines and that is what we are doing, in line with the authority that the Iraqi constitution has given the South Kurdistan.” Dr Ashti Hawrami, the KRG Minister for Natural Resources, contributed to the discussion by focusing on the oil exploration; utilization of gas; power; and downstream achievements made by the Region in recent years. Commenting on the KRG’s initiative on oil exports, he stated “the KRG are committed to achieving an average of 200,000 barrels per day of exports by the end of this year, and an average of 250,000 barrels per day in 2013.” Turkey’s Deputy Energy Minister, Dr Selahattin Cimen, discussed Turkey’s role as an energy transmission hub and its role in developing Kurdistan’s oil and gas. Dr Cimen remarked, “the trade sector is an important part of our relations, and collaboration between the KRG and Turkey to transfer oil and gas to the world markets will strengthen our ties. What energy markets need most is a free market, transparency and secure supply. In this context, the KRG reaching out to supply the world will be a breath of fresh air for world markets.” H.E. Emad Ahmed, Deputy Prime Minister of South Kurdistan of Iraq, H.E. Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and H.E. Dr Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Natural Resources, concluded the Conference by reflecting a positive message to international investors and reinforced the KRG’s commitment to the contracts they have made with foreign investors. Distinguished speakers also included; Qubad Talabani , Head of the Department for Coordination & Follow-Up, Council of Ministers, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq; Mehmet Sepil, President, Genel Energy Plc; Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, Executive Chairman, DNO International ASA; Ian Macdonald, Vice President, Chevron; Majid H Jafar, CEO & Board Member, Crescent Petroleum & Dana Gas; John Gerstenlauer, COO, Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd; David D Kennedy, Regional Managing Director, Afren Africa Middle East North Africa, Ltd; Baz Karim, President, KAR Group; Saad Sadollah, Commercial & Business Development Advisor, Ministry of Natural Resources, Kurdistan Regional Government; Hama Amin Hawrami, Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Electricity, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq; Tony Hayward, CEO, Genel Energy Plc; and Dr Jennifer Coolidge, Founder & Executive Director, CMX Caspian & Gulf Consultants Ltd. Conference sponsors included; ExxonMobil, Oil & Gas Management Services Group, UB Holding, Gulf Keystone Petroleum, Chevron, Genel Energy, Marathon Oil, Dana Gas, Repsol, OMV, DNO, Hess, Oryx Petroleum, Gazprom, MolGroup, Hunt Oil, Oil Search (Iraq)Limited, KAR Group, Tenaris, Talisman Energy, Viking International, Afren, HKN Energy, RPS Energy, WesternZagros, GardaWorld, Qaiwan Group and Technology Partners. Kurdistan Oil & Gas is renowned in providing a unique platform to discuss the strategies that drive investment into the country through its oil and gas industry. As the only annual event of its kind, the Conference brought together over 800 leaders from the major operators, private sector, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Iraqi Government and the Iraqi Federal Parliament. It is established as providing a gateway to oil and gas business in Iraq and the South Kurdistan, through discussions on partnerships, tenders, upstream policies and updates on latest industry developments |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 16 12, 12:49 Post #68 |
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Turkey weighs pivotal oil deal with Kurdistan American diplomats are struggling to prevent a seismic shift in Turkey’s foreign policy toward Iraq, a change the U.S. officials fear could split the foundations of that fractious state. The most volatile fault line in Iraq divides the semiautonomous South Kurdistan in the north from the Arab-majority central government in Baghdad. As the two sides fight for power over both territory and oil rights, Turkey is increasingly siding with the Kurds. Kurdish and Turkish leaders have had a budding courtship for the past five years. But now Turkey is negotiating a massive deal in which a new Turkish company, backed by the government, is proposing to drill for oil and gas in Kurdistan and build pipelines to transport those resources to international markets. The negotiations were confirmed by four senior Turkish officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of political sensitivities. “Turkey hasn’t needed to ask what we think of this, because we tell them at every turn,” said a senior U.S. official involved in Middle East policymaking, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to talk with the press. The official said any bilateral energy deals with Kurdistan would “threaten the unity of Iraq and push [Prime Minister Nouri] al-Maliki closer to Iran.” Kurdistan has already staked out significant autonomy, providing its own public services, controlling airports and borders, and commanding police and army forces. The energy deal with Turkey would all but sever Kurdistan’s economic dependence on Baghdad, which is perhaps the primary tie that still binds the two sides. “We are having serious discussions with the [Turkish] company,” Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said. “We hope they participate in the region.” The Turkish government has not yet made a final decision. Energy Minister Taner Yildiz is leading a review of the deal, according to the senior Turkish officials, and expects to issue a formal recommendation to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by the end of the year. Turkey’s moves come at an especially volatile time for the region. Along Turkey’s southern border, in the midst of a civil war, Syria’s Kurdish minority has gained control of a large expanse of territory. That instability has worried Turkish leaders, who have used their sway over the KRG Kurdish leadership — both Prime Minister Barzani and Kurdistan’s powerful president, Massoud Barzani, the uncle of the prime minister — to help ensure that they exert a benign influence in Syria. Iraq is also in crisis. On Nov. 16, a minor confrontation between Kurdish security forces and Iraqi Army soldiers combusted into a deadly firefight. Since then, both sides have deployed thousands of troops, as well as tanks and artillery, to either side of their contested border, where they still remain within firing range. Erdogan has left little doubt where his sympathies lie, accusing Maliki of “leading Iraq toward a civil war.” Yet Turkey’s embrace of the KRG Kurds is not just a function of personal enmity. Rather, it represents a deliberate strategic shift that has upended the conventional wisdom that once governed Turkish foreign policy toward Iraq. After the U.S.-led invasion, Turkey advocated against giving autonomy to KRG Kurds, fearing that such a precedent might strengthen Turkey’s own Kurdish minority in its quest for greater rights and self-governance. Turkey was also wary that any KRG Kurdish territory would become a safe haven for the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known by the acronym PKK. But in 2007, Erdogan began to soften that stance. He took primary responsibility for his Iraq policy away from the military, and gave it to a diplomat named Murat Ozcelik. “My instructions from the prime minister were to build ties with the Kurds,” Ozcelik said. U.S. diplomats encouraged the rapprochement. By pursuing economic cooperation, Turkey could form a bulwark of mutual interest with mainstream KRG Kurds who might otherwise be inclined to sympathize with the PKK’s nationalism. Turkey also recognized the strategic value of Kurdistan’s abundant oil and gas resources, which had barely been explored under previous regimes. Turkey’s economy was growing rapidly, at an average annual rate of about five percent. To sustain that growth — and the enormous popularity it had brought Erdogan — Turkey would need new energy supplies. Moreover, Turkey’s ambitious leaders aspired to elevate their country into the highest echelons of international diplomacy. To do that, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has argued that Turkey should leverage its geographical position at the crossroads of East and West into geopolitical power. One way to accomplish this, he suggests, is to make Turkey a transit hub for energy. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 16 12, 2:20 Post #69 |
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South Kurdistan’s Energy Exports: Promising and Fraught with Risks ERBIL, South Kurdistan – As Kurdistan looks to shift from exploration to exporting its huge reserves of oil and gas, the world’s energy-hungry markets sense both excitement and apprehension over the prospect. The region, which gained autonomy after the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein following the 2003 US-led invasion, sits on an estimated 45 billion barrels of oil, and proven gas reserves of 110 trillion cubic feet. With energy-poor Turkey next door – and markets beyond – greedily eyeing the vast untapped riches of the landlocked enclave, the economic future of South Kurdistan should glitter with black gold. “Collaboration between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey to transfer oil and gas to world markets will strengthen our ties. What energy markets need most is a free market, transparency and secure supply,” Turkey’s Deputy Energy Minister Selahattin Cimen said at a major energy conference in Erbil this month. “The KRG reaching out to supply the world will be a breath of fresh air for world markets,” he enthused. But instead of fresh air, war clouds loom over one of the world’s most volatile regions, which borders Turkey, Iran and Syria. For years, KRG leaders have been locked in a conflict with the central government in Baghdad, which opposes any independent effort by the Kurds to export their underground riches themselves. Foreign companies have been involved in exploration in Kurdistan despite warnings by Baghdad to blacklist firms operating in the enclave. Turkey, the main prospective buyer of Kurdish oil and gas, has watched excitedly as the Kurds have developed their energy fields, with help from the likes of US multinationals like Chevron and Exxon Mobil. But now, as the KRG shifts from exploration to finding buyers and routes for oil and gas found in Kurdish territories, Baghdad has seriously intensified efforts to undermine those prospects, igniting weeks-old tensions that have leaders on both sides warning of a possible Arab-Kurdish war. A stand-off between Erbil and Baghdad erupted in November, after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sent in his newly-formed Dijla forces to take over security in disputed northern territories. The Kurds, who also claim the energy-rich lands, deployed thousands of their own Peshmarga forces, and last Monday KRG President Massoud Barzani told the troops to hope for peace but be ready for war. Earlier this month Maliki, who has been bitterly opposed to the KRG’s growing economic independence, flexed his muscles when air traffic control in Baghdad refused landing rights in Erbil to a plane carrying Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, who was en route to attend the Kurdistan-Iraq Oil and Gas Conference. Quietly, Maliki has been making overtures to Ankara to revive strained ties with Baghdad, trying to proffer Iraq’s own oil and gas, and hinting that if Turkey wants to get its hands on Kurdistan’s energy riches it must go through him. “The oil and gas in the South Kurdistan will find its way to international markets,” KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani defiantly told the Erbil conference. “Our pipeline plans are moving ahead,” he added. So far, prospects of major oil and gas pipelines from Kurdistan to Turkey remain pipedreams. “I don’t think there has ever been a situation in history where we had gas reservoirs and a hungry country close by. That country is Turkey,” said consultant Friedbert Pfluger. “No matter what others think, it is a great chance (for Kurdistan),” he said, adding that one of the topics discussed at the conference was a gas pipeline out of Kurdistan, expected in 2015. Analysts confirm that Turkey is the only viable possibility for both the South Kurdistan and Iraq to reach international markets. Moreover, Turkey is a huge potential market itself, by some estimates importing nearly all of its oil and gas needs. “We (Turkey) have Kurdistan as our neighbor, here on our border,” said Mehmet Sepil, head of Turkish firm Genel Energy. “It makes a lot of sense that we bring in all this energy -- especially gas. My country needs it desperately.” According to international media reports Genel Energy is planning to finance an oil pipeline from Kurdistan to Turkey. Experts expected Yildiz -- whose plane was prevented from landing in Erbil -- to declare a rumored deal during the conference. But John Roberts, an energy security specialist with energy news provider Platts, told Rudaw that building a pipeline without agreement with the federal government in Baghdad would unleash a host of complications. “Is this is an agreement between Erbil and Baghdad – in which case there is no problem. Or are you simply relying on an agreement between Erbil and Baghdad?” he said. “Yes, you can build an oil pipeline, it is not particularly difficult. But it is the political baggage that comes with it,” Roberts said. He added that the KRG could use existing infrastructure and small pipelines from Duhok to Turkey to export small volumes of gas, but that large-scale investments were needed for larger exports. Jennifer Coolidge, executive director of CMX Caspian & Gulf Consultants Ltd., said that the KRG currently focuses on gas provision for power generations, but once surplus gas comes available, “Future opportunities exist (for the KRG) to undercut Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran in the Turkish market.” According to Donald MacDonald, Chevron’s Iraq country manager, it is obvious that the infrastructure is not there yet. “It is dependent on gas that’s found in the future,” he said, noting statements by KRG officials that their primary focus for gas is domestic utilization, and that only excess production would be considered for export. Adding weight to Baghdad’s opposition to separate energy deals with Kurdistan, the United States also has indicated it would not back such agreements. “There is a great reluctance to entertain or to go supporting separate energy strategies. My sense is that this is starting to change, but it has not entirely changed Washington’s calculations,” said Ross L. Wilson, the former US ambassador to Turkey. Earlier this month, US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland indicated that the United States does not support direct energy deals with the KRG. "We don't support oil exports from any part of Iraq without the appropriate approval of the Iraqi government. We're calling on the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to continue to try to work through their differences," Nuland said. Simon Henderson, energy expert at US think tank, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, indicated in an article that the United States might fear that an Erbil-Baghdad deal would threaten the unity of Iraq. “Iraq's very unity -- as well as the independence of its Shiite majority from Iranian control -- could be called into doubt,” he wrote. “To avoid this, Washington should keep repeating to Erbil and Ankara that it will not countenance a separate export regime with pipelines between the KRG and Turkey. But it should make equally clear to Baghdad that only American pressure will keep hydrocarbon exports -- and, ultimately, Kurdistan as a whole -- under the central government's aegis,” he argued. But Henderson also cautioned against a heavy-handed attitude by Baghdad. “Baghdad must compromise with the Kurds to keep their oil flowing and their region inside Iraq. Any effort to exercise complete, intrusive federal control over all aspects of the country's hydrocarbon development is doomed to fail. “If Baghdad is flexible, all will profit, and Iraq will remain united,” he concluded. http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurds/5546.html |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 18 12, 11:02 Post #70 |
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UPDATE 2-Gazprom Neft defies Baghdad's Kurdistan warnings -analysts Reuters | December 17, 2012 By Olesya Astakhova MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Russian crude producer Gazprom Neft plans to stay in autonomous Kurdistan despite warnings from Baghdad that it should leave, analysts who attended an investor meeting said on Monday, citing company officials. Russia's fifth-largest oil producer, the oil arm of gas export monopoly Gazprom , acquired interests in two blocks with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in August. That followed moves by rivals including ExxonMobil and Total which angered the central Iraqi government. Last month, Iraq told Gazprom Neft to quit oil deals with Kurdistan or pull out of its contract for the Badra oilfield, controlled by the government. Gazprom Neft wanted to keep working in both Kurdistan and Badra, the analysts who attended the briefing said. A Gazprom Neft spokesperson declined to comment. Industry insiders have said that Kurdistan offers more lucrative conditions - under production sharing agreements - than the central government. Last year Gazprom said it expected to start production at Badra with 15,000 barrels per day in August 2013. The field with 100 million barrels of reserves near Iran's border is operated with Turkey's TPAO, Korea's Kogas and Malaysia's Petronas. Earlier on Monday, Gazprom Neft said in its presentation it planned to invest more than $23 billion between 2013 and 2015 with a focus on developing new oil production. Projects include Novoportovskoye, Messoyakha and Prirazlomnoye - expected to be the first Russian Arctic offshore field to come onstream. The company said investment in 2013 would increase to $7.4 billion from $6.1 billion in 2012. Gazprom Neft also earmarked $8.3 billion for 2014 and $7.3 billion for 2015 investments. The company also needs investment to upgrade refineries. The company said it expected 2012 net profit to rise to $5.71 billion from $5.47 billion in 2011, while revenues were seen rising to $39.84 billion from $35.05 billion. Gazprom Neft revised its 2011 revenue down from an earlier reported $44.19 billion, while net income was revised up to $5.47 billion from an earlier $5.35 billion. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 20 12, 1:19 Post #71 |
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Exxon oil deal foments talk of civil war BAGHDAD/Hewlêr,— With their opposing armies massed on either side of the contested border dividing southern and KRG, leaders in Baghdad and the semiautonomous South Kurdistan are warning that they are close to civil war — one that could be triggered by Exxon Mobil. Although leaders on both sides are negotiating a walk back from the brink, they also say their armies could easily be provoked into battle. One of the most sensitive tripwires is Exxon, which is preparing to drill for oil in the disputed territories at the heart of the military standoff. Iraq’s two most explosive political conflicts — over land and oil — are primed to combust. “The prime minister has been clear: If Exxon lays a finger on this territory, they will face the Iraqi army,” said Sami al-Askari, a member of parliament and confidant of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “We don’t want war, but we will go to war, for oil and for Iraqi sovereignty.” Iraq’s major ethnic groups have laid competing claims to a belt of land between the South Kurdistan and southern Iraq. An unofficial “line of control” bisects the disputed areas, demarcating the southern border of Kurdistan-governed territory. The crisis began after a Nov. 16 battle in the town of Tuz Khurmatu, whose ethnic tensions are typical of the disputed areas. A shootout erupted when federal forces tried to arrest a Kurdish fuel seller, who asked Kurdish soldiers, known as the Peshmerga, to protect him. A shootout between the opposing forces ensued. Maliki and the South Kurdistan’s president, Massoud Barzani, quickly ordered thousands of reinforcements to move toward the line of control. “We do not want war,” Barzani said in a speech to troops on the front lines, “but if war comes, then all Kurdish people are ready to fight.” KRG Kurds are scarred by memories of Saddam Hussein’s campaigns of ethnic cleansing. After the fall of his regime, they staked out substantial autonomy in KRG, and now the South Kurdistan has many features of an independent state. Many of the region’s southern Iraqi neighbors, however, complain that the Kurds are grasping for territory that is not rightfully theirs. Authorities in Baghdad say they had to deploy thousands of Iraqi troops to prevent further Kurdish encroachment. “This recent crisis has given gains to the Kurds,” said a high-ranking military officer in Baghdad, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of political sensitivities. Military leaders in Baghdad and the South Kurdistan say fighting could begin with a single misfire. In some areas near the city of Kirkuk — the epicenter of the territorial disputes — the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga are well within firing range of each other’s weapons. The military officer said the Iraqi army would open fire under three scenarios: if the Peshmerga forces fire first or advance beyond their current positions, or if oil companies begin working in disputed areas. “If they do this, it’s a declaration of war,” the officer said. Exxon is not the only company with oil deals in Iraq’s disputed areas, but its contracts are the most controversial because of the company’s iconic stature and the location of its exploration blocks, on the southernmost edges of South Kurdistan’s expansive interpretation of its territory. Before Exxon signed the contracts in October 2011. Baghdad warned the company that it considered such deals illegal. “It is the responsibility of the government to defend Iraq’s sovereignty,” Deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said in an interview, warning that if Exxon chooses to operate in disputed territories, “they would be committing a grave mistake.” The Obama administration did little to discourage the Exxon deals, and it has not taken action to prevent the company from drilling next year, according to several U.S. officials. But American diplomats have mediated between leaders in Baghdad and the Kurdish capital of Irbil. They helped Iraqi army and Peshmerga commanders agree on a plan in which all forces would have returned to their pre-crisis positions, but the plan was rejected — by Barzani, or Maliki, or both, according to varying accounts. On Thursday, with American assistance, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, brokered an agreement between Maliki and Barzani to tone down their public statements and form a committee to create a solution for security in disputed areas. But neither side has committed to military demobilization. Meanwhile, Talabani was in intensive care at a Baghdad hospital Tuesday after reportedly suffering a stroke. Meanwhile, Exxon’s contracts with South Kurdistan contain strict timelines. At the beginning of 2013, the company will begin surveying and other work in the disputed blocks, and Exxon plans to begin exploration drilling in the summer, according to an official who is close to the company and has direct knowledge of its plans. Changes would have to be negotiated with authorities in the South Kurdistan, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of political sensitivities. An Exxon spokesman declined to comment on the company’s intentions, but the oil giant has a reputation for adhering to the letter of its contracts. As Exxon ramps up, both Maliki and Barzani have political incentives not to back down. Barzani has enjoyed a surge in stature as the fractious parties within South Kurdistan rally behind him against a common threat. He visited the Peshmerga’s front lines in Kirkuk on Dec. 10 — a provocative move that demonstrated his physical control over that especially sensitive territory. A day later, a procession of Maliki-aligned politicians denounced what they termed a “war visit.” They are also rallying a coalition in parliament to slash 2013 federal funding for the Kurdistan Regional Government. The Kurds still rely on Baghdad for the vast majority of their budget, but they have taken steps to create their own oil sector, signing nearly 50 contracts with international companies, increasing the South Kurdistan’s control over its revenue streams. The Kurds could sever their economic dependence on Baghdad if they finalize a deal being negotiated with Turkey for oil exploration and pipelines. Maliki’s advisers argue that South Kurdistan has more to lose from a civil war, because foreign companies are attracted by the region’s excellent security, whereas those that invest in southern Iraq anticipate a risk of violence. “All of their success is built on the assumption that it’s a stable region,” said Askari, the Maliki ally. “Instead, it will be a conflict region.” washingtonpost.com |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 21 12, 3:40 Post #72 |
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South Kurdistan exports nearly zero Erbil- Crude exports from South Kurdistan have nearly stopped as companies lose faith in the September 13 agreement that promised KRG-Baghdad cooperation and payments. Oil producing companies in the South Kurdistan have cut exports to a trickle, as the outlook for payments from Baghdad to the region's oil industry seems increasingly bleak, Iraq oil Report website said. A senior official with Iraq's state-run North Oil Company (NOC), which handles exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, says that exports from Kurdistan producers have dropped to 4,200 barrels per day (bpd) as of Tuesday, down from 25,000 bpd on December 15. In recent months, Kurdistan had pumped as much as 190,000 bpd after the central government paid the exploring companies at the end of Summer. South Kurdistan has downed its oil exports as Baghdad denies to pay the exploring companies which the central government says should pump oil in the northern region under the supervision of Baghdad. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 22 12, 7:37 Post #73 |
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Iraq says to withhold payments for Kurdistan oil BAGHDAD,— Iraq will not pay oil companies operating in Kurdistan because the autonomous region has failed to export the volume of crude it pledged to, a spokesman for Hussain al-Shahristani, Iraq's deputy prime minister for energy said on Friday. The comments ramp up a standoff between Baghdad and the region, which have been locked in a long-running spat over land and petroleum rights. Tension appeared to ease in September, when Kurdistan and Baghdad struck a deal under which the autonomous region agreed to continue pumping its share of national oil exports in return for payment from the central government. An export target of 200,000 bpd has been set. Following that agreement, Baghdad transferred an initial sum of $650 million to the Kurdistan regional government (KRG), but a subsequent payment is now overdue and Kurdish crude exports this week dropped to around 5,000 barrels per day. "The Iraqi side gave them the (initial) sum, but they haven't supplied the 200,000 bpd," Faisal Abdullah told Reuters via telephone. "The government fulfilled its obligations according to the agreement but Kurdistan shirked theirs," he said. In recent weeks, oil exports from Kurdistan have slumped from a peak of around 200,000 bpd. The reason for the reduction is not clear, but the region has previously halted exports in protest at Baghdad's withholding of payments. Baghdad rejects the deals signed between Kurdistan and oil companies including majors Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Total as illegal and has blacklisted some that have ventured into the northern region. Kurdistan says its right to grant contracts to foreign oil firms is enshrined in the Iraqi constitution, which was drawn up following the 2003 invasion that ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein. The oil payment dispute is part of a broader debate between Baghdad and Kurdistan over control of oil and territories which is straining Iraq's uneasy federal union one year after U.S. troops left. Reuters |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 26 12, 4:14 Post #74 |
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Kurdistan Stops Oil Exports Through Baghdad ![]() A Kurdish official said on Tuesday that the South Kurdistan has suspended oil exports over a payment row with Baghdad. In 2011, the two sides reached a tentative deal by which the Kurds send the oil to Baghdad, which sells it, and pays 50 percent of the revenues to the developers to reimburse the development costs. In April, the Kurds halted exports of around 100,000 barrels a day, saying that Baghdad had made only two payments under the agreement and had failed to pay $1.5 billion they say they were owed. Four months later, the Kurds agreed to restart exports as a goodwill gesture. That allowed the two sides to reach a new agreement under which Baghdad would pay 1 trillion Iraqi dinars (about $848 million) to the companies in September. However, Ali Hussein Balo, the advisor of the Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources, said Baghdad sent only 650 billion Iraqi dinars (about $550 million) and withheld the rest. That prompted the Kurds' latest move. "The region has found itself forced to halt the oil exports as Baghdad didn't fulfill a commitment it made in the September agreement in regard to payment," Balo told The Associated Press over the phone from the self-ruled region's capital, Erbil. He said the South Kurdistan was exporting around 180,000 barrels a day before recently starting to decrease the shipments. He didn't say when exactly exports were halted butsaid it was in the past few days. Faisal Abdullah, the spokesman for Iraq's deputy prime minister for energy affairs, confirmed that the full amount wasn't paid. |
| Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time. | |
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| Kinematik | Dec 28 12, 1:26 Post #75 |
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Very good alan! Nice info and good to see nice pictures also! |
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1:46 AM Jul 12