Q&A: Bassem Abdul Karim Nassir, head of the Iraqi Drilling Company

BASRA - With global oil prices growing stronger, the financial crisis ebbing, and the restraints from OPEC easing, Iraq's oil sector is eyeing a resurgence.

This means more drilling, and the state-run Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC) wants to put dozens of idle rigs to work.

It helps that the Oil Ministry has ordered that IDC be given preferential treatment by both international oil companies and Iraqi state-run companies developing oil fields.

IDC is planning to resume work in fields that were paused over the past year due to the pandemic and financial conditions, as well as compete for new projects in partnership with Halliburton and Schlumberger.

Bassem Abdul Karim Nassir, who was named director general of the IDC last September, gave an update to Iraq Oil Report during an interview at his office in Basra.