Source:
Azzaman The Ministry of Oil has given 35 foreign oil firms the permission “to extract and develop” oil fields in Iraq, the ministry’s spokesman said.
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“The selection of these companies was made in the light of expertise, their financial situation, environment-related issues and equipment,” the spokesman added.
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Many Iraqis are skeptical about Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP – original partners in the nationalized Iraq Petroleum Company or the IPC – as well as the U.S. Chevron. These firms, the ministry says, are to help Iraq add 500,000 more barrels a day to its nearly 2.5 million barrels currently.
The deals with these companies have already fanned mistrust and resentment among Iraqis who have always looked at their oil riches within a nationalist framework.
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The announcement comes as Iraqi legislators are still quarrelling over a draft oil and gas law. Iraq’s competing religious and ethnic groups thought no deals would be made before the passage of the law through parliament.
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