When the Iraqi autonomous region of Kurdistan went looking for someone brave enough to pump billions of dollars into developing its large oil and gas reserves, it found a man who has never been accused of lacking courage: Igor Sechin, an old friend of Russian president Vladimir Putin. The chief executive of Rosneft, Russia’s state-owned oil company, has ignored fears of conf
Read MoreThe longest-serving American in Iraq's oil sector gives an insider's account of tactical victories, strategic blunders, and hidden agendas in post-2003 reconstruction. By BEN LANDO of Iraq Oil Report Published Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 Gary Vogler was a veteran of the U.S. Army, Mobil Oil, and ExxonMobil when he joined the Pentagon's pre-invasion Energy Infras
Read MoreSince the ratification of Iraq’s constitution in 2005, Iraq has struggled to interpret clauses 111 and 112, which stipulate that oil is the property of the Iraqi people and its revenues should be shared equitably. Several draft laws on hydrocarbon management, energy sector regulation, and oil revenue distribution have remained stalled because of differences between the federa
Read MoreARTICLE SUMMARY To help further develop Iraq’s energy sector, parliament recently passed a law that establishes the National Oil Company for oil extraction and manufacturing. The Iraqi parliament voted March 5 on the National Oil Company draft law, which regulates oil production and exports and fairly distributes its revenues to the different regions of Iraq. The clauses o
Read MoreU.S. support for Iraqi oil export projects involving Turkey, the Gulf, and Europe can help keep undue Iranian influence at bay. Despite a fifteen-year security crisis that would have sunk most societies, Iraq has registered year-on-year oil production increases that make its energy sector a global success story. Going forward, Iraqi hydrocarbons will either be exploited by I
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