Energy

New SOMO director named as Iraq reshuffles oil sector leadership

Ali Nazar al-Shatari will be Iraq's new head of oil marketing as the Sudani government makes changes across several top oil posts.

SOMO Deputy Director General and Head of Crude Ali Nazar al-Shatari (right), at the Nov. 30, 2016, OPEC meeting in Vienna with then-Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar Ali al-Luiebi (center), and then-SOMO Director General Falah Alamri (left). (Source: OPEC Media Office)

Aug 31, 2017

KRG deal settles debts, gives more acreage to Pearl

By settling with Dana Gas and partners, the Kurdistan region avoids tens of billions of dollars of potential liability and commissions massive new gas production within two years.

Aug 30, 2017

Siba preparing year-end commercial gas production

The first successful project from Iraq's third bidding round, in 2010, is on track to reach plateau production within five years.

Aug 28, 2017

July production passes 4.6 mbpd

A review of field and government data for July puts Iraq's nationwide oil fields at a five-month high.

Aug 25, 2017

KRG reaches landmark deal with DNO and Genel

Settlement of outstanding debt in exchange for assets is effectively a reset button for the Kurdistan oil sector, which is likely to quicken pace of production growth.

Aug 17, 2017

IS insurgency targets energy sites, interrupting oil exports

Kirkuk pipeline exports were briefly offline after IS militants bombed high-voltage power lines – one of a dozen insurgent attacks to hit northern Iraq in the past week.

Aug 9, 2017

Rivers of crude spill from IS smuggling operation

IS militants are still stealing oil from wellheads in the mountains of Salahaddin province - in the process, unleashing a flood of oil that flows for miles.

Aug 1, 2017

Oil exports steady through July

Slight increase in independent KRG exports offsets small reduction in federal Iraqi exports.

Aug 1, 2017

Baghdad pursues Kirkuk-Iran pipeline

After voicing opposition to the KRG's independence referendum, Iran contemplates a deal that could shift the balance of power in Iraq's disputes over territory and oil.

Jul 27, 2017

Chinese consortium in talks over Nassiriya deal

Iraq's Oil Ministry starts direct negotiations with PetroChina and CNOOC for a long-delayed, massive project to build a 150,000 bpd refinery and develop the Nassiriya field.

Jul 26, 2017

Iraq production shoots up in June

An independent analysis shows rising output from state-run fields in Basra lifted Iraqi production by nearly 100,000 bpd, as a monitoring committee meets and assesses OPEC quota compliance.