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| South Kurdistan oil & gas development | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 17 12, 1:25 (649,181 Views) | |
| ALAN | Oct 7 13, 1:31 Post #801 |
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Just Exxon and chevron deals are long and they are about 7 fields out of the 50 plus fields we have |
| 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 | Oct 7 13, 7:05 Post #802 |
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Come oooooon!! Its exactly this behaviour that is bad for countries in the ME! "Mine mine mine mine" No oil left after 20 years? Today KRG have 45 billion barrels of oil reserves and a shitload of gas, and this number will increase as more fields are developed. 2019 KRG will export 2 million barrels per day they say... Thats 61 years until thoose 45 billion have been exported. Tell me why you cant live with that i-rack gets 90% of revenues and the IOCs 10% Why is this stealing and so horrible?? Please tell me |
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| Azamat | Oct 7 13, 7:32 Post #803 |
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Because we are sitting on seas of oil that are being exported to other countries whilst we face fuel shortages at home and have to import it from abroad. That is just embarrassing and absurd, and characteristic of unfettered capitalism wherein there is no place for the national interests of Kurds. And you as an oil expert should know that 45 billion barrels of oil doesn't mean all of those 45 billion barrels will actually be won. As the fields become more depleted and scarce, extracting oil also becomes a more costly and difficult process. So whilst there may be 45 billion the cutoff for extraction that's economical is probably lower. That would be an excellent description of the West's and East Asia's greed for this globe's natural resources in order to fuel the materialistic and affluent lifestyle of their populations and f**k up the earth's environment beyond repair. Since no oil-consuming country appears willing, I do believe the Middle-East has a shared duty to take responsibility for the earths' environment upon itself and be the more responsible and mature party by kicking all the IOCs out and cutting supplies indefinitely, given their customers have no intention of adjusting their excessive consumption. It's an ethical responsibility we in this thankless shithole have to assume in a world of spoiled children. |
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| Deleted User | Oct 7 13, 10:51 Post #804 |
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According to this report too Kurdistan will be connecting the pipeline to the i-racki one? http://e24.no/eiendom/omstridt-kurdisk-oljeledning-naer-ferdig/21622789 It is a large norwegian oil website. The article is in Norwegian, so only you guys living in Norway, Sweden and Denmark will understand it (or u can simply use google translate). "Den nye rørledningen skal kobles til en eksisterende ledning som går fra Irak til Tyrkia. Nøyaktig hvor er ikke kjent." Translation: The new pipeline will be connected to an older pipeline running from i-rack to Turkey. Exactly where the pipeline will be connected is not revealed. I hope this is a misunderstanding by journalists! |
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| ALAN | Oct 7 13, 3:16 Post #805 |
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Na fulcrum Irack requested it yes but KRG Showed the middle finger as usual
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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 | Oct 7 13, 7:32 Post #806 |
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Kurdistan granted Atrush oil field to UAE Company Monday, 07 October 2013 11:10 Shafaq News / Abu Dhabi National Energy Company ( TAQA ) announced on Monday , receiving the approval of Kurdistan Regional Government on the first phase of developing Atrush fields in the region. “It is expected for the field run by (TAQA) to produce about 30 thousand barrels of oil per day at the start of production, expressing the expectation to begin pumping the first quantities by early 2015,” The Company said in a press statement stated for “Shafaq News”. The UAE Company had announced earlier this year that it had bought a 53.2 % stake in the permit of Atrush oil in South Kurdistan compared to $ 600 million from General Exploration Partners (G. E. P). Buying this share is considered the first time to take place by (TAQA) to run a project for oil and gas in the Middle East, based in Abu Dhabi. |
| 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 | Oct 7 13, 7:41 Post #807 |
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcgKPv74qV8 |
| 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 | Oct 7 13, 9:25 Post #808 |
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Yayyyy
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| Kinematik | Oct 7 13, 9:35 Post #809 |
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Haha ok! So you think the problem is there? Exporting oil means less oil for domestic consumption? I think of it this way, exporting oil will get KRG more money to build refineries to make petrol out of crude. Or import more petrol from Turkey with the money they get. It states "reserves", reserves have a 90% chance of beeing recovered. If it would had said 45 billion barrels oil on place it would have ment that 25-50% could be taken up of the ground. Haha ok, so no you wannabe save the enviroment by not exporting oil. lol KRG need the IOCs, the IOCs need KRG . Learn to live happy together and build a rich, safe country. |
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| ALAN | Oct 11 13, 12:25 Post #810 |
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Marathon Oil, partners get approval for Atrush development in the South Kurdistan 13/Oct/10 Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) and its partners announced have received approval from the Kurdistan Regional Government for the first phase in the oil development of the Atrush block in the South Kurdistan. The Atrush-1 discovery well was drilled in 2011, and is located approximately 50 miles northwest of Erbil. The development project will consist of drilling three production wells and constructing a central processing facility. Marathon Oil and its partners expect to achieve first production by early 2015 with an estimated initial gross production of approximately 30,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). The approval of the Field Development Plan for Phase 1 provides for a 25-year production period. Additionally, the Atrush partners are continuing appraisal activities and preparing to drill a fourth well on the block. Subject to the outcome of appraisal drilling and Government approval, a potential Phase 2 development is expected to include another 30,000-bpd production facility. The partners will also evaluate the feasibility of producing associated natural gas for delivery to the domestic market. "Marathon Oil is pleased with the progress that has been made to advance the development of the Atrush discovery," said Mitch Little, Marathon Oil vice president of International and Offshore Production Operations. "Approval of the Atrush Phase 1 Development Plan is an important milestone and confirmation of the significant resource potential that prompted our entry into the region in late 2010." Marathon Oil's wholly owned subsidiary Marathon Oil KDV B.V. holds a 15% working interest in the Atrush block. TAQA Atrush B.V., a subsidiary of TAQA, is the operator with a 39.9% working interest; ShaMaran Petroleum Corp. holds a 20.1% working interest through its wholly owned subsidiary ShaMaran Ventures BV (100% owner of General Exploration Partners Inc.); and the Kurdistan Regional Government holds a 25% working interest. Marathon Oil's asset portfolio in the South Kurdistan includes a 25% non-operated working interest in the Sarsang Block, as well as a 45% working interest in both the Harir and Safen Blocks in which Marathon Oil is the operator. Source: http://www.ogfj.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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| Kinematik | Oct 11 13, 5:48 Post #811 |
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Have you heard any rumours about takeovers? Shamaran .. |
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| ALAN | Oct 11 13, 11:47 Post #812 |
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Kurdistan oil "reserve" to reach "90" billion barrels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-3krJ9gXy0 |
| 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 | Oct 13 13, 2:10 Post #813 |
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Nawshirwan Mustafa to sue Ashti Hawrami Leader of Gorran movement will soon sue Ashti Hawrami Kurdistan oil minister for defamation. A source from Gorran told (lvin press) that "during the elections the oil minister had accused Nawshirwan of allegations which are not true". "It's obvious a certain political party was behind the allegations and he knows very well who actually took the money but wants to accuse Gorran leader for it instead", the source added. The source stated in the end, "the real truth must be revealed for the public, if what Ashti claims is true then he must prove it in court". http://www.lvinpress.com/newdesign/Dreje.aspx?jimare=20726 |
| 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 | Oct 14 13, 11:55 Post #814 |
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Kurdistan’s Tawke ‘Sea of Oil’ for DNO as Well Flow Hits Record A well at DNO International ASA (DNO) and Genel Energy Plc (GENL)’s Tawke oilfield flowed at a record rate, bolstering prospects for higher output from the South Kurdistan as it completes an export pipeline to Turkey. The Tawke-23 well flowed at 32,500 barrels of oil a day after horizontal drilling, DNO said in a statement in Oslo. The companies have initiated sales from the well, which is the second horizontal one to be drilled at the field. “The exceptional results from Tawke-20 and Tawke-23 have fundamentally changed our approach to developing this field and also our expectations for its performance,” said Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, DNO International’s executive chairman. "By any measure, these are prolific wells tapping into what increasingly feels like a sea of oil.’’ Kurdistan is building a pipeline to Turkey after years of disputes with the central government in Baghdad over oil payments. The Kurds expect to export 1 million barrels a day of oil by 2015 and 2 million by 2019, said Ashti Hawrami, the KRG’s minister of natural resources, in comments published on the government’s website on Oct. 3. DNO rose 5.1 percent to 15.4 kroner, the highest level since June 2006. Genel rose 0.9 percent to 983 pence as of 8:31 a.m. in London. DNO holds a 55 percent stake in the Tawke license and Genel owns 25 percent. The Kurdistan Regional Government holds the remaining 20 percent. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-10-14/kurdistan-s-tawke-sea-of-oil-for-dno-as-well-flow-hits-record |
| 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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| Zlatan10 | Oct 15 13, 1:20 Post #815 |
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Why only 20 % for KRG...??? |
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| ALAN | Oct 15 13, 2:54 Post #816 |
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Zlatan heval check earlier pages you will find your answer
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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 | Oct 17 13, 12:25 Post #817 |
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1927 Kerkuk when it's oil was first discovered Some times I wish it had no oil we wouldn't have gone throu all the arabization demolishing etc... |
| 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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| Azamat | Oct 17 13, 1:19 Post #818 |
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Without oil we would have been given an independent SK in the 20s. Bashuri leaders were negotiating with the British for such a state but they rejected it as soon as oil was discovered in Kerkûk, which the British wanted to have for themselves with their i-rack colony. |
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| Zlatan10 | Oct 19 13, 9:50 Post #819 |
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By Isabel Coles and Ahmed Rasheed Hewlêr /BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A new export pipeline means South Kurdistan will soon earn more from its own oil than it receives from Baghdad as a share of total i-racki revenues, a turning point that could strengthen the region's hand in its long search for independence. Autonomous since 1991, Kurdistan has often chafed against the i-racki central government and even threatened to secede, but it is nonetheless beholden to Baghdad for a slice of the OPEC producer's $100-billion-plus budget. That may soon change. By trucking its oil to world markets through Turkey, the Kurds have already earned nearly $1 billion, and once the new export pipeline is operational at the end of the year, the region stands to take in nearly that amount each month. The pipeline is a sign of the region's increasing single-mindedness and could make it self-sufficient, although that in itself will not be enough to create the independent state of which Kurds dream. "Oil is going to be an enabler of independence: it's not going to be the cause," said a Kurdistan-based industry source on condition of anonymity. "Independence is going to be because of provocation, regional circumstances, perfect timing". Kurdistan's foreign relations minister made clear that while the oil pipeline strengthened the Kurdish position, dreams of independence must be tempered by realism. "We cannot be denied economic and political independence. We do not want the region to be at the mercy of Baghdad every day threatening to cut our budget," Falah Mustafa Bakir told Reuters on Thursday. "If Baghdad is ready to work together with us, we have no problem at all. If they don't, we are obliged to serve our people. We can't be captive to wrong policies in Baghdad." ARTICLE OF FAITH Full independence is an article of faith for Kurds, long subjugated by central governments in the four countries across which they are divided - i-rack, Turkey, Syria and Iran - and who view statehood as their right. But the reality of their region's landlocked geography in a neighborhood hostile to Kurdish aspirations has encouraged pragmatism. "We deserve to have our own independent state, but it's not easy to go down that road until we are ready and the whole neighborhood becomes democratic," said Bakir. "We are realists." Washington and Baghdad fear the pipeline sets a precedent that will bring about the partition of i-rack. Provincial authorities in Nineveh, which is under central government jurisdiction, recently followed Kurdistan's lead by empowering their governor to sign contracts with oil companies. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) insists it is committed to a democratic, federal i-rack, and that decentralization of power is the only way to prevent the country's disintegration. "Sharing all oil revenues according to the federal constitution, and the economic independence of Kurdistan, are the recipe for the unity of i-rack," said the region's Minister for Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami, during a visit to Britain. However, no payment mechanism is in place yet for oil sales via the new pipeline. The Kurds say they will take what they are owed and pass the rest on to Baghdad, reversing the current process whereby the central government disburses revenue. "MAGIC NUMBER" Initially, the Kurds aim to pump 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) through the pipeline, which runs for 281 km (174 miles) through Kurdish territory from the Taq Taq oilfield to an area where the borders of i-rack, Syria and Turkey meet. As companies increase production and infrastructure is developed, exports should rise towards a target of 1 million bpd by 2015 and 2 million by 2019. Kurdistan's assertive energy policies have infuriated Baghdad, which is threatening to sever ties with Turkey and slash the Kurds' 17 percent share of the budget if exports via the pipeline go ahead without its consent. The KRG complains it ends up getting closer to 11 percent anyway. The 2014 i-racki budget is projected at $150 billion and will increase as oil exports grow, which could change the calculation for the Kurds as they would stand to receive more from Baghdad. "One of the KRG's calculations is if they're going to start selling oil, they need to generate enough revenue that if Baghdad goes to the extreme and plays the budget card, they can still pay the bills," said Shwan Zulal, head of the London-based Carduchi Consulting. That would mean producing between 400,000 and 500,000 bpd, based on a calculation involving assumptions about the price of oil, how much goes towards cost recovery and profit sharing. Most estimates put current production capacity at more than 350,000 bpd, of which 140,000 is refined and consumed locally. Most comes from three fields operated respectively by Norway's DNO (DNO.OL), the Anglo-Turkish Genel (GENL.L), and privately owned KAR Group, based in the Kurdish capital Hewlêr . Gulf Keystone (GKP.L), fresh from winning a court battle over ownership of its oil assets in Kurdistan, restarted production last week, soon to add 20,000 bpd, and smaller contributions come from Afren (AFRE.L), Hungary's MOL MOLB.BU and Austrian group OMV (OMVV.VI). Others are due to come on stream within the next 14 months, while Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Chevron Corp (CVX.N) and Total (TOTF.PA) are still in the exploration phase. "There's no magic number, but output of around 500,000 barrels a day would give them (the Kurds) a lot of leverage," said a senior Western oil executive on condition of anonymity. "It wouldn't be full independence from Baghdad at that stage, but it would give them a much stronger bargaining position." ENDGAME Senior i-racki and Kurdish officials exchanged visits earlier this year and said they were ready to resolve their differences, but negotiations have made little headway. Kurdish crude used to flow through a Baghdad-controlled pipeline running from i-rack's Kerkûk oilfields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, but exports via that network dried up last year in a row over payments for oil companies in the region. "Talks over oil issues are at a stalemate now," said an energy adviser to the i-racki government, blaming the Kurds for setting preconditions. "It's like running around in a circle." Their positions appear irreconcilable, but analysts and officials say the time is ripe for a deal. "Baghdad has to take us seriously. We are in a stronger position," said the Kurdish foreign affairs minister. Facing a reinvigorated Sunni insurgency and divisions within his own Shi'ite coalition, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will find it difficult to win an election next year if he seeks a third term without support from the Kurds. "The Kurds will cleverly play this card when they sit at the negotiating table to discuss the new oil export pipeline with Baghdad," said Ali Shallal, a legal expert who specializes in drafting oil contracts. i-racki officials are banking on Turkey seeking their approval to avoid antagonizing Baghdad any further. Analysts and industry sources say the Kurds will for now at least opt for the benefits of being a quasi-state entitled to a share of i-racki oil reserves, which are far greater than their own. "They have a very advantageous position as they are," said an industry source who declined to be named. "It (independence) doesn't make sense. It's not in anybody's interest". (Additional reporting by Peg Mackey and Julia Payne in London; Editing by Giles Elgood) |
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| ALAN | Oct 19 13, 10:56 Post #820 |
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SKF
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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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| davidh | Oct 20 13, 4:09 Post #821 |
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I have heard that Chevron are building a 500k bpd shaikan heavy oil pipeline -can any one can confirm this? I hope the STEAM conference takes place this year. Should have some interesting announcements I hope. |
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| ALAN | Oct 20 13, 10:31 Post #822 |
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Haven't heard a thing but it it's true then that's great news
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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 | Oct 20 13, 10:26 Post #823 |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPX6H_joIxA |
| 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 | Oct 21 13, 8:31 Post #824 |
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UPDATE 1-Oil pipeline boosts Kurds in stand-off with Baghdad Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:54pm EDT * Pipeline due to start by end-2013, initial flows of 150,000 bpd * Kurds insist committed to Iraq unity, revenue-sharing * Baghdad threatens to cut budget if Kurds export via pipeline * Officials, analysts expect KRG-Baghdad deal By Isabel Coles and Ahmed Rasheed Hewlêr /BAGHDAD, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A new export pipeline means south Kurdistan will soon earn more from its own oil than it receives from Baghdad as a share of total Iraqi revenues, a turning point that could strengthen the region's hand in its long search for independence. Autonomous since 1991, Kurdistan has often chafed against the Iraqi central government and even threatened to secede, but it is nonetheless beholden to Baghdad for a slice of the OPEC producer's $100-billion-plus budget. That may soon change. By trucking its oil to world markets through Turkey, the Kurds have already earned nearly $1 billion, and once the new export pipeline is operational at the end of the year, the region stands to take in nearly that amount each month. The pipeline is a sign of the region's increasing single-mindedness and could make it self-sufficient, although that in itself will not be enough to create the independent state of which Kurds dream. "Oil is going to be an enabler of independence: it's not going to be the cause," said a Kurdistan-based industry source on condition of anonymity. "Independence is going to be because of provocation, regional circumstances, perfect timing". Kurdistan's foreign relations minister made clear that while the oil pipeline strengthened the Kurdish position, dreams of independence must be tempered by realism. "We cannot be denied economic and political independence. We do not want the region to be at the mercy of Baghdad every day threatening to cut our budget," Falah Mustafa Bakir told Reuters on Thursday. "If Baghdad is ready to work together with us, we have no problem at all. If they don't, we are obliged to serve our people. We can't be captive to wrong policies in Baghdad." ARTICLE OF FAITH Full independence is an article of faith for Kurds, long subjugated by central governments in the four countries across which they are divided - Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran - and who view statehood as their right. But the reality of their region's landlocked geography in a neighbourhood hostile to Kurdish aspirations has encouraged pragmatism. "We deserve to have our own independent state, but it's not easy to go down that road until we are ready and the whole neighbourhood becomes democratic," said Bakir. "We are realists." Washington and Baghdad fear the pipeline sets a precedent that will bring about the partition of Iraq. Provincial authorities in Nineveh, which is under central government jurisdiction, recently followed Kurdistan's lead by empowering their governor to sign contracts with oil companies. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) insists it is committed to a democratic, federal Iraq, and that decentralisation of power is the only way to prevent the country's disintegration. "Sharing all oil revenues according to the federal constitution, and the economic independence of Kurdistan, are the recipe for the unity of Iraq," said the region's Minister for Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami, during a visit to Britain. However, no payment mechanism is in place yet for oil sales via the new pipeline. The Kurds say they will take what they are owed and pass the rest on to Baghdad, reversing the current process whereby the central government disburses revenue. "MAGIC NUMBER" Initially, the Kurds aim to pump 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) through the pipeline, which runs for 281 km (174 miles) through Kurdish territory from the Taq Taq oilfield to an area where the borders of Iraq, Syria and Turkey meet. As companies increase production and infrastructure is developed, exports should rise towards a target of 1 million bpd by 2015 and 2 million by 2019. Kurdistan's assertive energy policies have infuriated Baghdad, which is threatening to sever ties with Turkey and slash the Kurds' 17 percent share of the budget if exports via the pipeline go ahead without its consent. The KRG complains it ends up getting closer to 11 percent anyway. The 2014 Iraqi budget is projected at $150 billion and will increase as oil exports grow, which could change the calculation for the Kurds as they would stand to receive more from Baghdad. "One of the KRG's calculations is if they're going to start selling oil, they need to generate enough revenue that if Baghdad goes to the extreme and plays the budget card, they can still pay the bills," said Shwan Zulal, head of the London-based Carduchi Consulting. That would mean producing between 400,000 and 500,000 bpd, based on a calculation involving assumptions about the price of oil, how much goes towards cost recovery and profit sharing. Most estimates put current production capacity at more than 350,000 bpd, of which 140,000 is refined and consumed locally. Most comes from three fields operated respectively by Norway's DNO, the Anglo-Turkish Genel, and privately owned KAR Group, based in the Kurdish capital Hewlêr . Gulf Keystone, fresh from winning a court battle over ownership of its oil assets in Kurdistan, restarted production last week, soon to add 20,000 bpd, and smaller contributions come from Afren, Hungary's MOL and Austrian group OMV. Others are due to come on stream within the next 14 months, while Exxon Mobil, Chevron Corp and Total are still in the exploration phase. "There's no magic number, but output of around 500,000 barrels a day would give them (the Kurds) a lot of leverage," said a senior Western oil executive on condition of anonymity. "It wouldn't be full independence from Baghdad at that stage, but it would give them a much stronger bargaining position." ENDGAME Senior Iraqi and Kurdish officials exchanged visits earlier this year and said they were ready to resolve their differences, but negotiations have made little headway. Kurdish crude used to flow through a Baghdad-controlled pipeline running from Iraq's Kirkuk oilfields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, but exports via that network dried up last year in a row over payments for oil companies in the region. "Talks over oil issues are at a stalemate now," said an energy adviser to the Iraqi government, blaming the Kurds for setting preconditions. "It's like running around in a circle." Their positions appear irreconcilable, but analysts and officials say the time is ripe for a deal. "Baghdad has to take us seriously. We are in a stronger position," said the Kurdish foreign affairs minister. Facing a reinvigorated Sunni insurgency and divisions within his own Shi'ite coalition, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will find it difficult to win an election next year if he seeks a third term without support from the Kurds. "The Kurds will cleverly play this card when they sit at the negotiating table to discuss the new oil export pipeline with Baghdad," said Ali Shallal, a legal expert who specialises in drafting oil contracts. Iraqi officials are banking on Turkey seeking their approval to avoid antagonising Baghdad any further. Analysts and industry sources say the Kurds will for now at least opt for the benefits of being a quasi-state entitled to a share of Iraqi oil reserves, which are far greater than their own. "They have a very advantageous position as they are," said an industry source who declined to be named. "It (independence) doesn't make sense. It's not in anybody's interest". http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/17/iraq-kurds-pipeline-idUSL6N0I73KD20131017 |
| 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 | Oct 21 13, 8:34 Post #825 |
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Yesssssssssss, it will be our ticket to cancel this fake border we share with them one and for all
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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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1:46 AM Jul 12