Iraq to blacklist Total oil company

[JWing]

01/08/2012 14:43
ERBIL, August 1 (AKnews) – An Iraqi spokesperson announced that the government will blacklist French oil giant Total after signing oil contracts with the Kurdistan Region.

Faisal Abdullah, the spokesperson for the Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, said Iraq will penalize companies signing contracts with the region without prior approval from the central government, reported Reuters.

Total announced on Tuesday that it signed a contract to explore for oil in the region. This angered the Iraqi government.

Total explained that it won a 35-percent share in two blocks in the region.

The company expressed willingness in developing the oil sector in Iraq and participating in many investment projects.

The Iraqi government earlier blacklisted US oil outfit Chevron Corp and barred it from signing deals with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil.

The decision was made after the corporation announced on July 19 it purchased 80 percent of stakes in Sarta and Rovi blocks in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region from India's Reliance Industries Ltd. Austria's OMV AG holds the remaining 20 percent.

An official statement from Iraq’s government said the corporation, second largest US oil company after Exxon Mobil, signed the deal without the approval of the Oil Ministry.


By Hemn Hadi

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/7/319693/

[Hue Mi]

Iraq seeks to cancel a total in a field halvaih

2012-08-01



Baghdad/JD/... A senior official of the Iraqi oil sector that Iraq overrules a small share of the total in halvaih oilfield after the French company that it had signed agreements to develop oil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

Director of service contracts and licenses with the Iraqi oil Ministry Amidi Abdul Mahdi, in a press statement: that Iraq should be avoided holding any company signs deal with Kurdistan without the approval of the Ministry of oil.

The Central Government says Iraq oil agreements signed with the illegal Kurdistan.

The total announced Tuesday it had agreed to buy into areas of the region infuriating Baghdad. /finished/Reuters