Iraq's cabinet approved the deal for the super-giant Rumaila oilfield last week, one of several deals near completion that could nearly triple the country's oil output to around 7 million barrels per day.

The last step in finalising the deal before it is signed and takes effect was for Iraq and the two companies to agree on the exact current output from the field, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

BP and CNPC won the deal to boost output from the Rumaila field to 2.85 million bpd at Iraq's first bidding round in June.

Current output from the field is around 1.05 million bpd, the official told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop in Istanbul on Iraq oil contracts.

It would take about two weeks for the companies and Iraqi officials to measure and agree on Rumaila output and then another two days after that to sign the deal, he said.

"It should be finalised within the next three weeks," Reuters cited the official as saying.

The Iraqi oil ministry says the cabinet has the final say on oil contracts, but some lawmakers insist that deals must also be submitted to parliament for appoval.

Analysts have said that there are no guarantees contracts would be respected by future Iraqi governments as there is no consensus on how oil wealth should be developed and shared.

The next election in Iraq takes places in January, when the durability of the contracts may be tested by a new administration.

The cost of developing the Nassiriya oilfield, for which Japan's Nippon Oil is negotiating a contract, would be around $8 billion, the official also said.

Iraq is negotiating that field contract outside of the bidding round.

Nippon and its partners plan to build a 300,000 bpd refinery at Nassiriya, the official said.

Issues around financing the development had held up the contract, he added.

Published: 19 October 2009 08:44 GMT  | Last updated: 19 October 2009 08:45 GMT