Posted on 06/22/2008 11:25:38 AM PDT by SkyPilot
Iraq will award contracts to 41 foreign oil firms in a bid to boost production that could give multinationals a potentially lucrative foothold in huge but underdeveloped oil fields, an official said on Sunday. "We chose 35 companies of international standard, according to their finances, environment and experience, and we granted them permission to extract oil," oil ministry spokesman Asim Jihad told AFP.
Six other state-owned oil firms from Algeria, Angola, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam will also be awarded extraction deals, Jihad said.
The agreements, to be signed on June 30, are expected to be short-term arrangements although the ministry has yet to provide a timeframe.
The deal paves the way for global energy giants to return to Iraq 36 years after late dictator Saddam Hussein chased them out, and is seen as a first step to access the earth's third largest proven crude reserves.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
The important thing is: no influence-peddling and no bribing.
May the best candidates win.
Sounds like the Iraqi pukes are about as appreciative as are the Kuwattis.
F-em.
Boy, won’t this mess with the Left! I thought we went to Iraq to take over the oil for ourselves, at least that’s what we were told...
“They cover Kirkuk field (Shell), Rumaila (BP), Al-Zubair (ExxonMobil), West Qurna Phase I (Chevron and Total), Maysan province development (Shell and BHP Billiton) and the Subba and Luhais fields (Anadarko, Vitol and the UAE’s Dome), according to a previous media report.”
Sounds like everybody got what they wanted...you expected a monopoly by Exxon?
You mean the same Kuwaitis who paid the bill we sent them AND gave us all the free fuel our troops in the area could use until last year? Those “ungrateful” Kuwaitis?
Idiot.
They cover Kirkuk field (Shell), Rumaila (BP), Al-Zubair (ExxonMobil), West Qurna Phase I (Chevron and Total), Maysan province development (Shell and BHP Billiton) and the Subba and Luhais fields (Anadarko, Vitol and the UAE's Dome), according to a previous media report.
No - I expected awards to some US firms, not the Vietnamese, Algerians, and Turks.
Since we are have been spending $720 million per day in Iraq, not to mention the sacrifice of our military (I am retired military), perhaps we should ask them to pony up a little bit now that their oil production will be on solid footing.
Only fair, don't you think?
BTW, did you know that Exxon is the ONLY major oilco that does NOT cater to homosexuals in the company? No same-sex benefits, no special treatments or protections. The issue has come up year after year, and year after year the shareholders have voted NO. It recently happened for the ninth time if I remember correctly.
MM
Watch the left’s call for “No Blood for Oil” turn into a campaign to proclaim opposition to Iraq awarding contract to American oil companies.
Idiots.
Moreover, the Kuwaitis have helped pay for the costs of US military operations for years now.
If the Dems pass all of their punitive legislation, US oil companies could fail or move overseas. If the 'rats have their way, they could end up nationalized and all their assets seized by this liberal kleptocracy.
Even if they survive, why deal with a company that's treated like a pariah by its own countymen?
No matter what we do for them or to them, at the end of the day, we are still the infidel.
We’re stupid if we expect gratitude from Arabs. In their culture if someone gives you something, you ask for more. “Thank you” is not part of it.
We know nothing of the size of the oil fields granted to each firm...I would expect “the big 5” to take the richest holdings...that’w what I would expect.
Better ask the engineers on the ground before speculating on the speculators.
Don’t think. React.
We were walking through Kuwait City year before last and some kids hanging out of a car asked if we were Americans and when we said yes they cheered and drivers around them waved and blew their horns. It was as close to a rock star welcome as I’ll ever get.
I spent many a weekend shopping in the gold shops of Fahaheel on the outskirts of Kuwait City. A fine time was had by all. They loved us there.
Its high time we hand the Iraqis the bill.
We would, except we seem to have had this election in which the people who would present the bill got tossed out in favor of a bunch of whiners who would rather use Iraq for political capital instead of having the costs get paid....
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