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| South Kurdistan oil & gas development | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 17 12, 1:25 (649,210 Views) | |
| ALAN | Dec 28 12, 2:58 Post #76 |
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Dear Kinematik: General Exploration Partners (GEP) has signed a purchase and sale agreement to sell 53.2% of its participating interest in the Atrush Block to Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (“TAQA”). In conjunction with the sale, Aspect Energy International, LLC will divest itself of any interest in GEP, leaving ShaMaran Ventures B.V. (a wholly owned subsidiary of ShaMaran) as the sole interest holder of GEP’s remaining participating interest. The agreement is subject to the final approval by the Kurdistan Regional Government and obtaining necessary partner consents. Following the closing of the transaction, and subject to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s 25% carried option, the Atrush Block will be held 53.2% by TAQA, 26.8% by GEP, and 20% by Marathon Oil KDV B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO). The Atrush Block is located immediately north of and adjacent to the Shaikan oil discovery announced by Gulf Keystone in January 2010. In April 2011, joint venture operating company General Exploration Partners ("GEP"), 26.8% owned by ShaMaran Petroleum, announced a major Jurassic oil discovery with exploration well Atrush-1. The Atrush-1 well proved that the Jurassic matrix & fractured carbonate reservoirs found in neighbouring structures were also oil bearing in the Atrush structure. The well was drilled to a total depth of 3400m, encountering a 726 metre potential gross oil column in the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic (120 metres net matrix pay in the Jurassic). Drilling shows and log results indicate additional potential net pay zones of up to 140 meters in the Jurassic Upper Butmah and two Cretaceous formations. These particular zones will be further evaluated in the Atrush-2 well planned for 2012. Excellent flow rates were established during testing of Atrush-1 totalling over 6,393 bopd 26.5 API oil from the three Jurassic horizons within the BSAM (Barsarin-Sargelu-Alan-Mus). An oil-bearing interval in the Adaiyah formation was also open during the Mus interval test. The flow rate was limited by tubing sizes and testing equipment. Well analyses show that the intervals are capable of much higher rates when completed for production due to Production Indices >200 bpd/psi. Pressure data from well testing and wireline formation pressure measurements have estimated a provisional Atrush field Free Water Level/Oil Water Contact at -416 metres msl. 2013 Atrush Block Outlook A Contractor is currently in the process of preparing a Field Development Plan which will be submitted to the Atrush Block Management Committee within 180 days following the Declaration of Commercial Discovery which was submitted on November 7, 2012. The Atrush-3 appraisal well is expected to be spudded before the end of the current year. Civil engineering work is nearing completion which will provide road access to the Atrush-3 well location which is approximately 5km east of the Atrush-2 well. The drilling rig will be moved from the Atrush-1 well site to the Atrush-3 location. The Atrush-4 and Atrush-5 appraisal wells are planned to be spudded during the year 2013. Planning for these wells is currently underway. The 3D seismic acquisition program which covered the entire Atrush block and adjoining Swara Tika discovery was completed on August 11, 2012. Final processing of the complete 3D seismic survey is expected in the first quarter of 2013. The tendering process has been completed for a contract to install and operate extended test facility ("ETF") with a maximum production capacity of 5,000 bopd. The ETF is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2013 with production coming from the Atrush-1 well. The Atrush-2 well will be used to monitor reservoirs. An additional ETF is planned to be installed on the Atrush-3 well in the second half of the year 2013. Work on an enhanced ETF with production capacities from 10,000 bopd expandable to 30,000 bopd is planned to commence in the second half of the year 2013. |
| 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 28 12, 4:05 Post #77 |
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it has cooled down there is too much oil companies in Kurdistan and not even turkey can touch Kurdistan now .Atrush is a medium oil field with possible potential for big discoveries just remeber the exploration is still ongoing in the field .. as for it been connected, do you mean via pipelines or you mean the oil extension !? via pipeline they are connected yes. |
| 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 28 12, 4:15 Post #78 |
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Pulkhana oil field - Kalar |
| 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, 5:55 Post #79 |
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I mean connected in geology If you read this from mol who is operating in Akri Bijeel If you look at Page 38 here in this november 2012 presentation http://ir.mol.hu/sites/default/files/hu/2012/MOL_IR_DAY_2012_NOVEMBER_15.pdf You see atrush field above shaikan and between shaikan and this akri-bijeel field. Look on Page 7 here if your not sure http://www.shamaranpetroleum.com/i/pdf/CorporatePresentation_Sept2012.pdf On Page 40 you see the position of the well where they say in the comments that "Bakrman-1 well with very promising shows – on trend with Atrush discover" Page 35 and 37 is also of intrest. Where is that photo from where the oil is on the ground? Of course its still exploring, we are waiting our first real 3rd part reserv update in q1 2013. They have 3D sesmik over the entire block and also the two wells, at1 starts producing in january and they will use at2 (with the 42000 flow) as an monitoring well to se if the wells are connected and then The same for at3 What do you think about Genel and The pipeline to Turkey? Love the photos you find of the blocks. Shamaran only has atrush now, they sold Taza and pulkhana |
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| ALAN | Dec 28 12, 9:22 Post #80 |
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Canadian Westernzagros appoints new general manager in Kurdistan CALGARY, Canada,— WesternZagros Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:WZR) ("WesternZagros" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. William (Bill) Jack to the position of General Manager Kurdistan, to be resident in Kurdistan, effective February 1, 2013. This appointment follows the decision by Mr. Ian McIntosh, Vice President, Kurdistan Business Unit, to retire in January 2013 after three years of valuable service. "Ian has been an important member of the Company's executive and has built our Kurdistan organization into a highly effective team. Among his many contributions, Ian was instrumental in quickly preparing the Sarqala-1 well for an extended well test. We wish Ian the very best," said Simon Hatfield, WesternZagros Chief Executive Officer. "We are, at the same time, delighted to welcome Bill to the WesternZagros team. His international experience is very well suited to our ambitious exploration and appraisal plans." As General Manager Kurdistan, Mr. Jack will be a member of the Executive Management Team, and will assume responsibility for government liaison and in-country administration. Mr. Jack's extensive background encompasses more than 30 years of progressive leadership in international oil and gas roles, having spent the majority of his career with BP on projects in the United Kingdom, Middle East, Russia, Australia and North America. His most recent appointment was General and Country Manager, Tunisia for Petrofac. Mr. Jack holds a Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering from University of Glasgow. About WesternZagros Resources Ltd. WesternZagros is an international natural resources company engaged in acquiring properties and exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas in Iraq. WesternZagros, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, holds two Production Sharing Contracts with the Kurdistan Regional Government in the South Kurdistan of Iraq. WesternZagros's shares trade in Canada on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "WZR". WesternZagros.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 30 12, 12:38 Post #81 |
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Investor sees Kurdish oil as Turkey’s chance since Ottomans![]() The president of an independent energy company in Kurdistan says prospects for natural resources are the best economic opportunity in the region since the times of the Ottoman Empire, denying that political tension will affect exploration efforts Genel Enerji President Mehmet Sepil thinks the opportunities in KRG are the best they have been since Ottoman times and does not believe that the recent political tension between Baghdad, Hewlêr and Ankara will affect efforts to explore and produce oil and gas in the region. “Oil will find its way,” Sepil said. “When the world is so energy hungry and when the prices of energy resources are so high, it is impossible for the oil not to be unearthed for political reasons. It’s only a matter of time … The world does not have the luxury of leaving oil and gas underground.” When did you shift your focus to energy issues in the region? For many years I worked in the international construction sector. I came to the Kurdistan region as a construction engineer. I was invited by Celal Talabani [the current Iraqi president] and Berham Salih [former Kurdistan Regional Government – KRG – prime minister]. We undertook several construction projects in Suleymaniah and since not many serious construction companies were coming to the region, they [Kurdish leaders] appreciated our work very much. One day in 2002, Talabani said, “Mehmet, why don’t you set up a big group and enter the oil business.” He talked about the Taq Taq oil field. In the beginning I joked that the only time I had ever seen oil was in my car’s depot. To cut a long story short, I joined hands with Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, with whom I was already partnering in other businesses, and set up Genel Enerji. Exploration and production is unfortunately an area the Turkish private sector has not expanded much, due to the presence of the state giant TPAO. Plus, as there is not much oil in Turkey the sector has not seen the emergence of big companies. At that time the region was highly unstable; surely Talabani’s support was not the only factor for you to take that risk. When we were working in the Taq Taq oil field, we could see Americans bombing Kirkuk. But the only risk is not political - there is also the risk of not finding oil. We call this risk mitigation. The political risks were high, but the chances of finding oil were very high. Why are we calling this place the last frontier for oil exploration onshore? The hit rate [the possibility of finding oil] is 20 percent on average in the world. Here it may be 70 percent. Yes, perhaps the political risks are higher, but so are the chances of finding oil. But you are a Turkish firm and the strain in relations between Ankara and KRG Kurds must have been an additional risk factor. Obviously we did not seek the government’s approval. But when we told all the relevant authorities that we were going and we did not receive any negative reactions. Don’t you think that you are feeling the consequences of the risks more today, due to the disagreement between central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government? The political risk was always there, but it has changed in nature. Last year my revenues were much higher than the money I spent in the region. If everybody had concerns about the risks, then what are Exxon or Chevron doing here? They have the same reading of the region. And what is that reading currently? Oil will find its way. Even if we separate Kurdistan and do not include disputed territories like Kirkuk, the oil and gas potential here will put it in the top 10 in the world. When the world is so energy hungry and when the prices of energy resources are so high, it is impossible for the oil not to be unearthed for political reasons. It’s only a matter of time. You have to be patient enough and have enough money. The world does not have the luxury of leaving oil and gas underground. So you claim the contention between Baghdad and Hewlêr will not prevent Kurdish oil and gas from reaching markets? With potentials so high, economics will outweigh politics. But precisely when the economic potential is so high, politics might interfere. We are talking about sharing a very big cake. Don’t you see the potential for a hot conflict between Hewlêr and Baghdad? I personally don’t see a risk of a hot conflict because there is a lot to lose for both sides. Look, we are the company that buys the most fields, and we are the ones with the highest production. We are going to do everything in our capacity to grow further here. In the last six months we have made $1 billion worth of new acquisitions. Genel Enerji is expanding to Africa, but Kurdistan is our locomotive. BP started on the Iran-Kurdish frontier. Only places with such huge potential create serious oil companies. We received an award from the KRG, called “small and beautiful.” Actually we are a company worth $4 billion and are ranked in Turkey’s top 20. But these are the scales here. How about your plans for gas? We say we can bring gas to the Turkish frontier by the end of 2015. Our first target is four bcm [billion cubic meters]. And you say you can build the pipeline. Constructing pipelines is not our business. What we say is that if others won’t solve the infrastructure problems, be it oil or gas, we are ready to do it. But we don’t insist that we should be the ones doing it. What are your expectations from Turkey? Well, we expect Turkey to buy the gas if it is so much in need of gas. It will definitely be much cheaper. Which one is better, to get gas from places far away or from next door? You can always find oil but [Kurdish] gas has a strategic advantage for Turkey. But a standard Turkish citizen might accuse the government of encouraging Iraq’s disintegration by letting the KRG directly export its natural resources. There is no obstacle whatsoever in the Iraqi Constitution that can prevent this. There is nothing in the Constitution that says the state company, Somo, should be a monopoly. The Constitution says that whether it is sold from Baghdad or from the north, the revenues belong to the whole Iraqi nation. In other words, the revenue from the sales done by the north going only into the pockets of the north is against the Constitution. But this will not be done. So there could be a pragmatic solution to the revenue sharing. If sales from the north are equally distributed among all of Iraq, then there won’t be anything unconstitutional. So what you are saying is that buying gas and oil directly from the KRG won’t lead to the disintegration of Iraq. What I am saying is that striking these deals requires political decisions. But the economic scale is so huge, in terms of economic benefit and in terms of energy security. I believe Turkey will take that decision. If you were to advise the Turkish government, what would be your suggested roadmap? I would work for days and days about how I could use the energy resources of KRG for the benefit of Turkey. An opportunity like this has not come to Turkey since Ottoman times. We lack energy resources, but we are a fast-growing economy and the biggest deficit stems from energy. I think Turkey is also aware of the potential. We have seen times in the past when some did not even believe there was oil here. And it seems the KRG is ready to work with Turkey. Are you joking? Once, when Turkey started an operation in KRG, that same day I signed an agreement with Nechirvan Barzani. It seems that there is also an investment-friendly and efficient business environment. The biggest advantage they have is human capital. And there is something new that is being built here. It is easier to build something new, and there is also the positive energy of building something new. If it takes three months to bring specific equipment, it takes three days here. This is the definition of investment friendly. Why? Because they are hungry for foreign investment. What would you say is the most striking difference between 2002 and 2012? Culture. All right, hotels and all are being built, but look at how Hewlêr is becoming green. Making your environment greener is a matter of culture; even that culture is fast-developing. There is, at the same time, a cultural revolution here. You know you can build buildings, that’s just about money. But learning to make your environment green - to find the relevant companies to do it to choose the right trees and so on - there is a fast mentality change as well. Who is Mehmet Sepil ? Mehmet Sepil holds a Civil Engineering degree and an MSc in Coastal and Harbor Engineering from the Middle East Technical University. He has a consistent 30-year-record of delivering outstanding results in growth, revenue, operational performance and profitability in projects with NATO, the U.S. and the Turkish government, as well as private companies. In 2002, Sepil founded Genel Enerji, which was among the first companies to be awarded a production sharing contract by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). With nearly a decade’s experience in the South Kurdistan – longer than any other exploration and production company – Genel Enerji has built an extensive portfolio of exploration and production assets in various regions of KRG. Sepil became President of Genel Energy plc in November 2011, following the merger of Vallares plc and Genel Energy International. December/10/2012 |
| 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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| Qandil | Dec 30 12, 1:12 Post #82 |
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Why can't they at least use I-raqi Kurdistan instead of northern I-raq? |
| "Kurdino! Bibin yek; eger hûn nebin yek, hûn ê herin yek bi yek." - Cigerxwîn. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 30 12, 3:05 Post #83 |
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it is a phobia to say 'Kurdistan' dont worry our oil will eventually make them say it
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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 30 12, 3:10 Post #84 |
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an older article but useful infos Kurdistan’s Huge Oil Reserves Lend Credibility to Iraqi Claims of 115 Billion Barrels ![]() Written by The Oil Drum- Whilst much of Iraq may be viewed as in a metastable social and political state, the semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan has enjoyed relative peace for a number of years. This has enabled the regional government to develop oil exploitation laws and to lease much of the land to foreign exploration and production companies. Regional operator Gulf Keystone Petroleum has been involved in the discovery of the Shaikan Field, believed to hold between 8 and 13.4 billion barrels in place with appraisal of this giant (potential supergiant) on-going. Gulf Keystone Petroleum believes that South Kurdistan may hold 45 billion barrels of oil reserves (recoverable?) lending some credibility to Iraqi claims of 115 billion barrels reserves for the whole country. This compares with a total of 53 billion barrels of oil produced from the North Sea up to the end of 2010. ![]() Figure 1 The Kurdistan semi autonomous region lies between Iraq (yellow), Turkey, and Iran (pink). The area is divided into oil exploration and production licence blocks numbered 1 to 46. The Kurdish people actually lay claim to a substantially larger area that extends beyond these borders into Iraq, Iran and Turkey and this may give rise to on-going sectarian tension in the recently peaceful region. Slide from Gulf Keystone Petroleum presentation dated October 2011 (large pdf). Disclaimer The author has recently purchased stock in Gulf Keystone Petroleum and Petroceltic whose company presentational materials provide the backbone of this post. Readers need to be aware that information contained in corporate presentations is not necessarily reliable, although companies listed on the London Stock Exchange are regulated and need to be cautious about what they say. For example, Gulf Keystone’s reports on reserves on the Shaikan Field have been audited independently by oil and gas field auditors Ryder Scott and Dynamic Global Advisors. During a recent review of the activities of small oil companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, I came across some interesting presentations on the oil exploration activity and potential of Kurdistan in KRG. Everyone will know that Iraq has been in a state of unrest since the US led invasion of 2003 that has just recently come to an end. But in the North, the semi autonomous region of Kurdistan has been much more peaceful. Elections were held in 2005 and again, four years later, in 2009. The Kurdistan Regional Government has proceeded to divide the territory into license blocks, many of which have subsequently been leased to foreign oil exploration companies (Figure 1). The oil rights of the Kurdistan semi-autonomous region have not been recognised by the Iraqi government and operating in this area therefore carries significant political risk. Most of the blocks have been leased to small companies and until recently the oil majors have been shy of taking risks in Kurdistan that may compromise their relationship with the Iraqi government. Geological setting Kurdistan forms part of the Zagros Fold Belt that is a prolific oil province in Iran and Iraq to the south and west (Figure 2). ![]() Figure 2 Map showing the oil and gas fields of the Zagros fold belt in Iran and Iraq. The Kurdistan area lies to the east of the supergiant Kirkuk field. Map from Greg Croft. The reservoirs are of Triassic and Jurassic age and are deposited along the margin of the paleo Tethys Ocean, which closed owing to large scale plate tectonic movements during the Cretaceous and Tertiary, giving rise to the Alpine – Himalayan mountain belt. In the Zagros Fold belt, the deformation of strata is less severe and is characterised by gentle synclines and anticlines. Source rocks are depressed and warmed in the synclines and the oil formed may migrate up-dip to be trapped in the adjacent anticlines (Figures 3, 4 and 5). ![]() Figure 3 Seismic image of anticline left and satellite image of surface anticline with 4 way dip closure right. Slide from Gulf Keystone Petroleum ![]() Exploration history An interesting slide from Irish independent minnow Petroceltic shows the exploration status in 2007 and 2011 (Figure 6). During the Saddam era, it appears that exploring for oil in Kurdish areas did not take place at all. The Kurdistan semi-autonomous region therefore represents virgin territory bang slap in the middle of one of the most prospective oil exploration territories on Earth. Licensing and drilling has only taken off since 2007 and activity is moving at an amazing pace with several major discoveries already made. ExxonMobil was the first super-major oil company to accept the political risk with the award of 6 blocks in 2011. A total of 6 blocks remain unlicensed. ![]() Getting the oil out of this landlocked territory surrounded by countries with unstable tendencies presents a major challenge. There is an existing pipeline route called the Kirkuk – Ceyhan pipeline that exports oil through Turkey to the Mediterranean coast (Figure 7). This pipeline crosses the Iraq – Turkey border within Kurd held territory giving them some control over access. There are in fact two pipelines with combined capacity of 1.6 mmbpd which have been the subject of repeated sabotage attacks. They are clearly exposed and difficult to guard (Figure 8). This export route is reported to currently carry around 0.5 mmbpd. There will be competition for access and ownership rights between Kurdistan and Iraq. ![]() A very recent development (14 Nov 2011) is the announcement that Vallares PLC, established by Nathaniel Rothschild and headed up by ex BP CEO Tony Hayward will merge with Genel Enerji AS and plan to build a new 400,000 bpd pipeline across Turkey to the Mediterranean. Both Genel and Vallares hold acreage in Kurdistan. Concluding thoughts While it is the early days, given the exploration success so far and the world class pedigree of this petroleum system, the estimate of 45 billion barrels reserves made by Gulf Keystone Petroleum does not seem unreasonable. It is reasonable to speculate that given peace, Kurdistan may export between 2 and 4 million barrels of oil per day within the next decade. With a population of 4 million, Kurdistan could expect to become wealthy like Norway and the Gulf emirates. That is if restless neighbours permit this to happen. There are a growing number of new, very large, more or less conventional oil plays being discovered that include the sub-salt off Brazil, the Aldous Major – Avaldsnes field in Norway and most recently the news that sub-salt oil has been discovered by Maersk Oil in their first well off Angola. Combined, these vast discoveries promise to make the decline on the downside of Hubbert’s peak a much more gradual affair, for a while at least. |
| 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 30 12, 3:13 Post #85 |
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Iraq’s civil war: Fueled by Kurdish oil, tied to Iran As the civil war continues to ravage Syria, another civil war looms over its neighbouring country Iraq. Instead of looking towards the heavens and questioning fate, one need only look into the oil fields of Iraq to see the reason behind the impending civil war. After the fall of the Saddam regime in 2003, the Kurds have been gearing towards achieving independence from Baghdad and already run a semi-autonomous region through the Kurdistan Regional Government. This region has its own ministries and a parliament with its capital city being Erbil (also called Hewler in Kurdish language). Oil is one the reasons that keeps the Kurds at loggerheads with Baghdad. This time the situation has reached a point where a war between the two sides might be declared on the very slightest provocation. The provocation, it appears, is the planned excursion of Exxon Mobil and other oil companies into the Kurdistan region to drill for oil. The Iraqi government has said that if Exxon or any such company comes to the disputed Kurd territories, then they “will face the Iraqi army”. On November 20, 2012, the Iraqi government dispatched thousands of troops and reinforcements to the front lines of the disputed Kurd territory, when a shootout between Iraqi and the Kurd Peshmarga forces, over an unpaid gasoline bill, took place in the town of Tuz Khurmatu. Relations have been extremely strained and unstable since then. Ever since Saddam’s fall, the Kurdistan government has been maneuvering to distance itself from the main Iraqi government and projects itself as a safe a haven for the world oil companies, and all the signs show that the western oil companies are taking the bait. With the declining security situation in Iraq, car bomb explosions, sectarian strife and the fact that the Syrian civil war might soon spill into Iraq, it only appears logical for the western companies like Exxon, Chevron, Mobil and even some Turkey and UAE based companies to come into the Kurd region for oil exploration. This situation is not helped by the fact that the Iraqi oil contracts are the toughest in the world and still offering the lowest returns. Other problems that arise are security issues and a deteriorating infrastructure that has suffered from the ravages of decades of war. While companies are racing towards the Kurd region because of lucrative contracts offered by the government, the southern Iraqi region stills remains crucial to global oil supply. However, it is the events on the ground that shape the future. Iraq’s government led by Nouri Al Maliki is striving to maintain closer ties with Iran, a move that has earned the displeasure of Washington. In addition, the Iraqi government has made little or no effort in stopping the arms supply from Iran to the Assad-led Syrian government. Furthermore in a sign of increasing independence from the US, the Iraqi government freed a key Hezbollah leader Ali Musa Daqduq, considered by the Americans as a threat to their interests in the region. All these issues, it seems, are compounding the already complex security situation. If the Iraqi government continues to seek closer ties with Iran, the US and its NATO allies might be forced to rethink their arms and economic aid to the fragile Iraqi democratic government. The western powers certainly do not want Iraq to have any ties with Iran. Iran, on the other hand, wants to woo Baghdad as the Assad-led government is nearing its end and might be replaced by a conservative Sunni government, which may not be very friendly with Tehran. The Shia government of Iraq is already on the hit list of al Qaeda’s chapter in Iraq (AQI) and the Iraqi government fears the influx of Sunni fighters from Syria into Iraq. This has been confirmed by the fact that the AQI (in a hugely ironic twist) has actually benefited from the American backed Syrian civil war and has increased its terror activities in Iraq. If al Qaeda actually establishes itself in Syria, then Iraq would face a security crisis that would be reminiscent of the Bush era occupation, with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), suicide attacks and car bombings becoming a daily feature. All this would ultimately affect the oil supply from Iraq, and so, world oil prices. The western and Middle Eastern oil companies are very interested in the Kurd oil fields, and Iraq is wary of this because it would mean loss of precious oil revenue in the future and increased security concerns. That is why Iraq does not want the Kurds achieving autonomy over the oil fields in their areas. The Syrian civil war has given new impetus to terror activities in the Middle East and it appears that the effect will be felt outside the region, too. http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/15298/iraqs-civil-war-fueled-by-kurdish-oil-tied-to-iran/ |
| 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 30 12, 3:33 Post #86 |
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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 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 Kurdistan region 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 Iraqi 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 Iraqi 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 Iraqi 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 Iraqi Kurdish territory would become a safe haven for the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known by the acronym PKK, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization. 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 Iraqi 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. “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 Kurdish region, and Baghdad. But political progress has been elusive. Instead, Baghdad and Kurdistan have fought their battles largely through their oil policymaking. Kurdistan enlisted international companies to develop oil and gas resources, including in territory whose official status is contested. Baghdad responded by banning any company that signed with Kurdistan from southern Iraq’s much larger oil fields — a policy that secured the loyalty of the world’s biggest oil companies, including Turkey’s state oil company TPAO. That stalemate was broken in October 2011, when ExxonMobil, which was already developing an enormous oil field under a contract with Baghdad, decided to defy the ban and sign contracts with Kurdistan, including three swaths of disputed land. By doing so, it implicitly endorsed Kurdistan’s expansive claims of contracting and territorial authority. ExxonMobil’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 anonymously because of the 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 Kurdish leaders began to discuss the details of a strategic energy partnership — culminating in the exploration and pipeline deal currently 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 Kurdistan. Kurdish leaders have denied that they are seeking independence, but confirm that they are using energy deals to achieve their political goals of greater autonomy. Turkish leaders also insist they have no interest in an independent Kurdistan. Erdogan’s foreign policy strategists say 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 warm rapport with Kurdish leaders, his relationship with Iraq’s Maliki has never been worse. Erdogan has given safe haven in Istanbul to Iraq’s fugitive vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, who was sentenced to death for allegedly running a sectarian death squad; he has also backed Maliki’s political opponents, including their unsuccessful effort this 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 will 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 Kurdistan is imminent. “U.S. support would be appreciated,” said one official involved in the deal, “but it’s not a condition.” http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-11/world/35745217_1_turkish-leaders-senior-turkish-officials-kurdistan/2 |
| 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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| Qandil | Dec 30 12, 10:24 Post #87 |
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This is what I am worried about the pipelines... Turkey will have the power to close it whenever they wish to. The pipeline is currently being build, right? |
| "Kurdino! Bibin yek; eger hûn nebin yek, hûn ê herin yek bi yek." - Cigerxwîn. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 30 12, 12:57 Post #88 |
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Would the world be ok with that you think ? Why would they do that based on what !? Iraq and turkey relations is at its worst I don't see the Iraq pipeline been closed , if they decide to close it we have Syria as another route and kick out all Turks in SK they will lose out too, and they will not get oil cheaper no more.Exxon Chevron Total and Gazprom are game changers not even turkey can stand in their way. |
| 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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| Qandil | Dec 30 12, 10:36 Post #89 |
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Yes, I'd think so too. Is the pipeline currently being build? |
| "Kurdino! Bibin yek; eger hûn nebin yek, hûn ê herin yek bi yek." - Cigerxwîn. | |
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| Kinematik | Dec 30 12, 11:18 Post #90 |
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Is that the latest operator map? This one os from november 26th http://www.westernzagros.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/121126_operator_activity_EXTERNAL.pdf You said that atrush has pipeline connections to other fields, how? Where? Can you see it on any map? Meeting today in Erbil about standoff, whats your toughts people? |
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| ALAN | Dec 30 12, 11:25 Post #91 |
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Kurdistan begins international oil exports, defying Baghdad Kurdish oil sold into international markets via Powertrans * Trafigura, Vitol become first customers loading ships in Oct * Baghdad says it alone has right to control over Iraq oil, gas By Jessica Donati and Peg Mackey LONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Kurdistan has begun selling its oil into international markets in independent export deals that further challenge Baghdad's claim to full control over Iraqi oil after first signing independent exploration deals with foreign oil majors last year. The move is likely to enrage the government, which is still locked in a battle with Exxon Mobil over its independent deal with Kurdistan last year to explore for oil in six Kurdish blocs. But it also paves the way towards greater Kurdish autonomy as Baghdad has long insisted it alone has the right to market Iraqi oil and gas products. By involving two of the world's largest trading houses, Trafigura and Vitol, Kurdistan has made it difficult for Baghdad to retaliate, as it depends on those firms for a proportion of its refined oil imports like gasoline and diesel. If Baghdad were to decide to shop elsewhere, it could face paying much higher prices for its fuel. Trafigura snapped up the first cargo of Kurdish light oil -- known in the industry as condensate -- offered for delivery in October via the intermediary Powertrans. The oil was trucked across the country from a Kurdish field to Turkey, where it loaded at the start of the month. Vitol was quick to follow, becoming the second major oil firm to buy Kurdish oil marketed independently of Baghdad, picking up a second 12,000 tonne cargo of condensate for loading at the end of the month. At around $890 a tonne, each shipment is worth over $10 million. Iraqi officials say any deals independently agreed with Kurdistan are illegal and trading Kurdish oil and gas products without the central government's consent amounts to smuggling. "Iraq maintains its right to legally pursue all those who participate in smuggling the property of the Iraqi people locally or internationally," said Iraq's government spokesman Ali Dabbagh, commenting on the Kurdish sales of oil to the Swiss trading houses. Trafigura declined to comment, while Vitol confirmed it had bought a parcel of Kurdish origin for loading in Turkey, declining to comment any further on the deal. "The small parcel was bought in a public tender, FOB Toros terminal, Turkey. No further comment," spokesman Mark Ware said. In addition to supplying Baghdad with products, Vitol also has two term deals to buy Iraqi crude in 2012 for a total of around 22,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). EXPANSION Kurdistan's potential as a major oil producer and exporter has proved to have greater weight with foreign oil firms than warnings by Baghdad that signing contracts with the autonomous region could put their contracts in the south at risk. Exxon Mobil has been followed by other majors including Chevron, Total and Gazprom, as production-sharing deals with Hewlêr are seen as a far better arrangement than Baghdad's fee-for-service contracts. Similarly, on the trading side, better prospects in the north have caught the attention of major oil traders, who are now prepared to risk Baghdad's anger to gain a foothold in Kurdistan while the region heads towards greater autonomy. "Because this flow (exports from Kurdistan) is meant to be huge. Crude, naphtha, LPG, condensate, but yes, very political," said an oil trader, commenting on the logic for risking relations with Baghdad. So far, Kurdistan's export volumes are tiny in comparison to its daily exports via national pipelines, moving around 1,000 tonnes of oil per day (about 8,000 bpd) to Turkey by truck, but deliveries are on the rise. A Kurdish industry source in Hewlêr said condensate volumes were expected to reach 1,500 tonnes per day (about 12,000 bpd) by the end of October and more trucks would be made available towards the end of the year. Kurdistan began its own exports of oil over the summer, swapping condensate for refined products such as diesel and kerosene with Turkey to help plug a product shortfall it says was created by Baghdad. The trade agreement was endorsed by Ankara, but Baghdad said the deliveries by truck were illegal. Kurdistan, autonomous with its own government and armed forces since 1991, gets central government funding and uses national pipelines to ship its oil. The process has however been stop-start over the years due to a long-running feud between Baghdad and Hewlêr over oil and land rights. Exports were halted in April in a dispute over payments from Baghdad to companies working in the region and restarted in August. In September a new deal was agreed with the central government on crude exports (set at 200,000 bpd in the last quarter of the year) and supply of refined oil products. On Monday, South Kurdistan said it had agreed to raise exports to 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in 2013 if Baghdad pays operators in the autonomous region. However the recent agreements solve only a few points of a broader feud between Baghdad and Kurdistan over oil exports, energy policy and territory. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/ ... HB20121022 |
| 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 30 12, 11:27 Post #92 |
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These guys are like the world largest oil brokers and very powerful people and they are buying Kurdish oil like crazy
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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 30 12, 11:32 Post #93 |
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Kurdistan to be Self-Sufficient in Oil Products The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Minister for Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami , has announced that the Kurdistan region will be self-sufficient in oil products next year He expects an increase in Kurdistan refinery’s production from 40,000 to 100,000 barrels per day, resulting in a surplus of oil products. Minister Hawrami also disclosed that there are more oil companies interested in workin in South Kurdistan. http://www.gulan-media.com/english/t_detail.php?section=1&id=2568 |
| 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 30 12, 11:34 Post #94 |
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Thousands of Oil Barrels Lost Daily Due to Neglect of Naftkhana SULAIMANI, South Kurdistan— The mayor of Khanaqin is not optimistic that the Naftkhana oil field refinery will be returned to the municipality. He said that they have been asking the central government to return the refinery to Khanaqin, but they keep ignoring them. Several years ago, former Iraqi Minister of Oil Hussain Shahristani ordered the transfer of the Naftkhana refinery to the Dora oil fields in Baghdad. “The Naftkhana oil field is being neglected because it is located in a Kurdish city,” said Mayor Muhammad Mala Hassan. Iran and Iraq share eight oil fields along the border areas of Khanaqin. The oil field on the Iranian side is called Naft Shahri. According to officials in Khanaqin, the Iranian government has been sucking oil out of the same reservoir within its borders continuously, while Iraq has done nothing about it. Talib Muhammad, the head of Diyala’s provincial council, expressed concern over the Ministry of Oil’s lack of initiative on the matter. He said that the council is powerless since the central government doesn’t want them to speak about the issue. Naftkhana was the first oil field to be discovered in Iraq by a British company in 1927. The number of oil wells on the site has increased from 38 to 42 since the fall of the former regime in 2003. According to international border agreements, both Iran and Iraq have rights to drill oil in the area. Muhammad said the problem is that Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has ignored the oil fields while Iran has been constantly pumping out the oil with advanced technology. “If Iraq’s Ministry of Oil resumes drilling, then Iran won’t be able to suck all the oil out,” Muhammad said. “However, the Ministry of Oil has been still silent about this.” The mayor said that the Khanaqin administration has been demanding Baghdad return the Naftkhana oil refinery to the area. “We are tired of making demands and being ignored,” the mayor said. The resumption of oil drilling in Khanaqin’s oil fields could create many jobs for the people of the area. Ismail Farhan, the former chairman of the oil and energy committee in Diyala provincial council, said, “The oil fields are not benefiting the people of the area.” “When I was the chair of oil and energy committee, I kept pressing the Ministry of Oil to focus on the Naftkhana oil fields,” Farhan told Rudaw. “I also raised this issue with Iraqi Parliament. But I got no response from either side.” “Iran is constantly drilling the oil while we do nothing here. The only beneficiary in this situation is Iran. We don’t have anything, not even a refinery there,” he added. The oil fields that Iran and Iraq share are estimated to have 14 billion barrels of crude oil. Officials from the area say that the Iranian government took advantage of Iraq’s lack of action in this regard and Iran is allegedly taking more than its fair share from the oil fields. But Arif Taifur, the deputy speaker of Iraqi Parliament, described the silence of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil as a green light for the Iranians to take the oil. Taifur told Rudaw, “It is true that both sides are allowed to drill from these oil fields, but Iraq is not drilling any oil there and has left it for the Iranians to suck out all the oil freely.” “For the sake of the Iranians, Shahristani ordered to pumping to stop in the area,” he said. “Iran has also been taking oil from the oil fields of Imara and other places.” Taifur added that this issue must be resolved as soon as possible, saying, “Passing the oil and gas legislation is the only way to resolve the issue.” The Naftkhana oil field is capable of producing 13,000 barrels of crude oil every day. However, its oil production has decreased to 5,000 barrels a day. Source: http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurds/5354.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 30 12, 11:35 Post #95 |
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Influential ExxonMobil is adding more weight to its support for Kurdish autonomy from Iraq Facing unhappiness in Baghdad over its year-old defiance of a ban on direct dealings with Kurdistan, ExxonMobil has opted to find another company to take over its interest in Iraq’s supergiant West Qurna oilfield, say people with knowledge of the situation. By abandoning Iraq explicitly to be in Kurdistan, Exxon is making a rare open display of geopolitical muscle. A flurry of reports was published a week ago after ExxonMobil reportedly informed Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain al-Shahristani that it is looking to sell its stake in West Qurna I to another company. I am told separately that ExxonMobil has interest from a few companies in the project, including from at least one global major. Baghdad and Kurdistan have a tense working relationship in which they do business, but have difficulty deciding how to divide the profits. Over the last year, Kurdistan has built up leverage by offering highly attractive exploration contracts to foreign companies, compared with the miserly terms demanded by Iraq. Baghdad expressly prohibits foreign companies from signing directly with the Kurds, and the majors originally complied in the hopes that the terms would get better. But they haven’t. So, having lost hope, as we have discussed, a parade of oil companies have signed directly with Kurdistan—Chevron, Gazprom, and France’s Total. But ExxonMobil’s perfidy is something different. Because of its size and history, when ExxonMobil makes a move, it tends to speak louder and create more ripples than its peers (in Quartz’s geopolitical energy indicators, ExxonMobil is one of the Mountains). It was news a year ago when it was leaked that the company signed with Kurdistan. But now, by pulling away from Iraq, it deals a harder blow to Baghdad’s prestige, while conferring more legitimacy on Kurdistan. Could this give the province a further nudge towards independence? |
| 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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| Qandil | Dec 30 12, 11:40 Post #96 |
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I've always thought that KRG is smart in executing politics. I would not be surprised if they one day pull something off, which will make us one step closer to independence. |
| "Kurdino! Bibin yek; eger hûn nebin yek, hûn ê herin yek bi yek." - Cigerxwîn. | |
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| ALAN | Dec 30 12, 11:52 Post #97 |
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Gorran biggest opposition party's report on the oil contracts. it is in kurdish so our enemies cant understand it that is why i post it, you make your own judgement and calculations... My views on their report 1. Gorran fails to understand Kurdistan does not have access to sea to avoid Turkish and Iraqi influence those countries that have been shown DO have access to sea. 2. The revenues are higher for the IOCS yes but that's iraqs fault not the law, they started all this with their "blacklisting" childish games which in the end back fired and made them lost their ground and KRG won, KRG has 4 oil majors , Exxon left west Qurna for Kerkûk as now KRG with military controls Kerkûk. So it was a way out of the blacklist tactic and it paid off. 3. Kurdistan is safe since 1991 and Kurdistan wants these oil guys on its soil while Iraq and iraqis hate the west specially US cos of its policies tiwarfs iran and Iraq is the least safe place on earth. |
| 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 30 12, 11:58 Post #98 |
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An oil refinery in Sulaimani ![]() ![]() |
| 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 31 12, 12:00 Post #99 |
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![]() Full image here http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jUmvLydM5jQ/UDHqXet1OlI/AAAAAAAABfI/p2IZAKAY0hw/s160 |
| 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 31 12, 12:06 Post #100 |
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Kirkuk oil field consists of 3 structures: Khurmala (top), Avana (middle) and Baba (bottom). Khurmara is now producing oil, Avana is untapped & untouched, its located in Makhmour, so far I'd say KRG is keeping this one for after independence, Baba is now controlled by KRG (after iraqi army fled from isis), and has been pumping oil for 80 plus years and so far two of the oil fields of Baba have dried up...
Edited by ALAN, Nov 30 15, 2:23.
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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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