Full steam ahead: in Iraq
Iraq powers ahead with tender awards
Iraq's Oil Ministry said today it was moving ahead with plans to auction off a first round of oilfield service contracts at the end of June, despite criticism from senior executives in the state-run industry.
"The Petroleum Contracts & Licenses Directorate is moving full steam ahead with its plans to declare the winning oil companies and to develop its oil fields in a transparent and public way," Abdul Mahdy al-Ameedi, the deputy director general of the directorate, told Reuters.
"Today, we received the green light from the cabinet to go ahead and announce the first bidding round on schedule, without any delay or change.”
Contracts are due to be handed out on 29 and 30 June, according to the Oil Ministry's official timetable.