Page 10 - MEOG Week 29 2022
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MEOG PROJECTS & COMPANIES MEOG
Iraq announces discoveries
in Anbar Governorate
IRAQ THE Iraqi government this week announced means of improving the governorate’s economy
that several new oil discoveries had been made in and supply of electricity.
the western Anbar Governorate. Speaking to the He also alluded to ongoing negotiations with
Iraqi News Agency, (INA), Anbar Governor Ali “Saudi/American” partners. In April, Oil Minis-
Farhan said that the discoveries had been made ter Ihsan Abdul Jabbar said that the cabinet was
at Nukhayb and Tharthar. considering reactivating a deal with US oilfield
Farhan noted: “The local government in services specialist Halliburton that would pro-
Anbar worked to create a suitable atmosphere vide the MoO with data required for a decision to
for oil exploration, and provided the necessary be taken on whether or not to proceed with the
security coverage for companies operating in the development of Akkas.
governorate,” in reference to the region’s chal- In February, Abdul Jabbar told a meeting of
lenging security situation. the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF)
He expressed hope that the Ministry of Oil in Doha that the planned deal with Halliburton
(MoO) would expedite the completion of explo- would cover the cost of development, potentially
ration efforts in the governorate, following the alongside state-backed Saudi Aramco. The US
cancellation of a legacy contract with the state- and Saudi firms are collaborating on the devel-
owned Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), presumably opment of the Jafurah gas deposit in the King-
in reference to the Akkas gas field, Iraq’s largest dom’s Eastern Province.
non-associated or ‘free’ gas deposit. The field, which is estimated to contain a
A technical services contract (TSC) for its total resource of 5.6 trillion cubic feet (159bn
development was awarded to a joint venture (JV) cubic metres) of gas and recoverable reserves of
between KOGAS and Kazakhstan’s KazMunai- around 3-3.5 tcf (85-99 bcm), is located around
Gas (KMG) during Iraq’s 2010 licensing round, 30 km from the Syrian border in the restive
with the partners to receive a remuneration fee of Western Desert.
$5.50 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe). Abdul Jabbar said in November that the
With development costs estimated at $3bn, Ministry of Oil (MoO) had kicked off 2D and
production was anticipated reaching 400mn 3D seismic surveys in Anbar and Nineveh to the
cubic feet (11.3mn cubic metres) per day, but north.
progress by KOGAS and KMG’s replacement Earlier this month, Farhan’s Nineveh coun-
– Turkey’s TPAO – has been limited. This terpart for Najm al-Jubouri said that the Iraqi
has largely been caused by its location in the Oil Exploration Co. (IOEC), a subsidiary of the
north-western Anbar governorate, a long-time Iraqi National Oil Co. (INOC), had discovered
stronghold of IS until its expulsion in late 2017. “several very large fields in the Qayyarah and
The governor said that Anbar contains signif- Tal Afar regions, and Iraqi exploration com-
icant quantities of gas, and is calling for invest- panies were still continuing” their work in the
ment in developing its oil and gas potential as a province.
P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 29 20•July•2022
