Kurdistans Oil Development.

1) there is no country called kurdistan.

it's a made up name of a geo-cultural region.
and it's associated with kurds (thus the name kurd-land)
for a certain calculated goal over middle-east.

so the title must be "iraq's oil development."
otherwise the word "area" should be added to the title.


2) oil is a side dish

on the other hand,
this scenario of establishing kurdish state
has been going on for a really long time.

they have been smacked once
during turkish independance war where
ironicly kurds and turks fought together against
imperialist forces (england, france, italy, etc...)

but the same scenario is up again.
they have not given up their cause.
only this time iraq has been destroyed, instead of turkey.

on the other hand, i must add that the oil is just a side dish.
money is good yes, black gold is awesome sure.
but their main purpose is much more important to them
than the world itself.

regards.

 

February 11, 2012

PARIS, — Total SA (FP), Europe’s third-largest oil company, is looking “very closely” at investment opportunities in Kurdistan where contract terms are superior to those on offer in Iraq, Chief Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie said.

“It’s a place where there are important oil and gas reserves and contracts are better” than Iraq, de Margerie said on Friday at a press conference in Paris. Total is looking to see whether there are “interesting” exploration blocks in Kurdistan, he said.

The authorities in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, home to about 40 percent of the country’s 115 billion barrels of reserves, angered Baghdad by signing a contract with Exxon Mobil Corp. The central government has so far refused to recognize production-sharing agreements between foreign companies and the Kurds.

“Kurdistan is in Iraq and it’s up to Iraqis to decide among themselves” whether agreements should be separate, de Margerie said.

Iraq plans to auction 12 exploration areas as part of its fourth bidding round. The concessions, seven for oil and five for gas, cover 90,700 square kilometers,www.ekurd.net according to an Oil Ministry statement in April. Total has signed contracts in previous bidding rounds.

The latest auction “doesn’t appear very attractive,” de Margerie said. “The reward for investment doesn’t appear for the moment to be enough.”
Companies operating in the Kurdish region are banned from participating in the planned auction.

By Tara Patel - bloomberg.com

 

SO FINALLY EXXON MOBIL BROKE SILENT OVER THE OIL DEALS WITH KURDISTAN AND GOING AHEAD WITH THE CONTRACT ((((THIS IS THE BASE FOR DECLARING KURDISH STATE)))))



February 27, 2012

LONDON, — Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) has disclosed its plans to explore for oil in Iraq's Kurdistan in the company's annual report, breaking months of silence over the investment that has outraged Baghdad.

While the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in November trumpeted the deal for six exploration blocs, Exxon - the first major oil company to invest in northern Iraq - had steadfastly declined to comment since.

The KRG said the production sharing contract with Exxon was signed on October 18, 2011.

"Exploration and production activities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq are governed by production-sharing contracts negotiated with the regional government of Kurdistan in 2011," said Exxon's annual report, filed on February 24.

"The exploration term is for five years with the possibility of two-year extensions. The production period is 20 years with the right to extend for five years."

The Exxon report did not go as far as to say the Kurdish negotiations had been finalized.

The U.S. major's foray into Kurdistan infuriated the central government, which has long held that all foreign oil deals signed with the KRG are illegal.

The central government initially threatened to cancel Exxon's service contract for the supergiant West Qurna-1 oilfield in southern Iraq.

But at the end of January, Baghdad told Exxon it could keep working at West Qurna provided it froze its plan with Kurdistan.

Industry sources say the company has no such intention and that it continues to press ahead quietly in Erbil.

The central government, in any case, cannot take action against Exxon over its Kurdistan bloc deal until Baghdad drafts a formal legal response, Iraqi oil officials have said.

The Ministry of Oil has, however, stripped Exxon of its role as project leader for a multi-billion-dollar water injection scheme that is core to the development of Iraq's oilfields in the south. Iraqi officials said the move was not in retaliation for Exxon's involvement with the KRG.

Otherwise, it is business as usual for Exxon at West Qurna-1, where production has risen to about 390,000 barrels per day from 244,000 bpd when Exxon and minority partner Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) signed up the contract in March 2010.

By the end of last year, the pair had spent $911 million on the project which targets output of 2.825 million bpd by 2017, a senior Iraqi oil official said this month. Baghdad had repaid the companies $470 million.

Iraq signed a series of deals with international oil firms such as Exxon to boost its output capacity to 12 million bpd by 2017 from about 2.9 million bpd now. But it may eventually lower the target due to infrastructure constraints.

By Peg Mackey - Reuters

 

By Emma Charlton - Jul 15, 2012 8:13 PM ET

Chevron Corp. (CVX), the second-largest U.S. energy company, may buy the rights to two oil exploration zones in Kurdistan region from Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), the Sunday Times reported, without saying where it got the information.
The deal, which may be announced this week, is worth at least $200 million, the newspaper reported.
Total SA (FP) may buy a stake in oil fields in the region from WesternZagros Resources Ltd. (WZR), the Sunday Times said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...lion-for-kurdish-oil-blocks-sunday-times.html

 

'Turkey importing crude could rise to 100-200 road tankers per day from Kurdistan' Turkish Energy Minister



PNA-Turkey has begun importing 5 to 10 road tankers of crude from northern Iraq daily and the volume could rise to 100-200 tankers per day, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Friday.

Kurdistan region, which borders Turkey, is locked in a dispute with the central Iraqi government over oil exports and energy policy has become a sensitive topic.

A Kurdistan regional government source said earlier this week that it had sent a small amount of oil to Turkey by trucks in exchange for diesel, adding it needed the refined product to run power stations.

"Crude purchases from northern Iraq have begun with a volume of 5-10 road tankers. This may rise to 100-200 tankers a day," Yildiz told reporters at a ground-breaking ceremony for a power plant in western Turkey.

Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has said that if the central Iraqi government did not provide Kurdistan with its share of refined products, the region would be decided.

Iraq has cut supplies of products to Kurdistan to 16,826 barrels per day (bpd) from 32,116 bpd from April 25, far below its 140,000 bpd allocation.

Separately, Turkey and Kurdistan are also in talks for the direct sale of natural gas to Turkey.

But in a sign of moves to soothe ties between Ankara and Baghdad, the two governments have started technical work on shipping crude oil from Basra in southern Iraq via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

 

Turkey pulls no punches in its claim to be a regional leader and the pursuit of what it apparently deems its consequent right to act with impunity. It is now reportedly ready to anger the Iraqi government by buying gas directly from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, an official from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) claimed on July 3.

The KRG could begin selling natural gas directly to Turkey within two years, its energy minister said, a move likely to anger the central government and further strain Baghdad's ties with Ankara, reports Reuters.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Baghdad have rowed for years over issues including late payments for crude, the legality of the regional government's oil deals and disputed territory. Baghdad accuses the Kurds of smuggling their oil abroad, mainly to Iran, and wrecking the central budget by denying it revenue.

"Even if there's no consensus with Baghdad, we will continue to sell natural gas and oil to Turkey," KRG Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami told the Caspian Gas Forum in Istanbul. "We plan to sell 10bn cubic metres of natural gas to Turkey, and later Europe in the long-term," he said, adding that sales were expected to begin within 18 months to two years.

Most Kurdish oil is still pumped into the national pipeline system, but there is one pipeline carrying about 60,000 barrels per day that already feeds directly from Kurdistan's Tawke oilfield into the main pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Ankara's latest move to bypass Baghdad on gas could further strain ties between Iraq and Turkey, which have suffered under the latter's strategy to forge solid political and trade ties with southern Kurds in recent years.

Iraq is currently the second-biggest market after Germany for Turkish exports, amounting to more than $8bn last year. But according to Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, about 70% of those exports get no further than the very north of the country.

Turkish officials have been locked in a war of words with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki since December, when he ordered the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, based on allegations that he ran death squads. Turkey, the majority of whose people are Sunnis, has accused Shi'ite Maliki of stirring ethnic tension. The Iraqi prime minister has accused Turkey of meddling in its affairs.

Turkey's increasing economic power - and the increasing push for status by the ruling AKP - has led the country into numerous scrapes in the volatile region as Ankara pushes its credentials as a regional leader. The latest high-profile spat is of course with Syria, where Turkey has openly encouraged opposition forces, whilst diplomatic ties with Iran have been bumpy, despite Turkey's refusal to fall into line with international sanctions against Tehran, and Israeli relations remain tense.

Source: bne

 

Alan , be nice to your neighbours,(especially Turkey) there's no way the Kurds will be able to get their oil to the market without transporting it across their neighbours lands , unless its airfreighted (wink) LOL


....

 

you really want to block 45 billion barrels of oil and 200 trillion cbf gas reserves ? do you think US will allow any neighbours to put an embargo on Kurdistan natural resources? (wink) .

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcntHF0_c9g&feature=player_embedded

 

(Reuters) - Iraq has decided to blacklist Chevron Corp (CVX.N) and bar it from signing any oil deals with the oil ministry after the U.S. major purchased stakes in two blocks in Kurdistan, the oil ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"In line with Oil Ministry policy based on the constitution, the Oil Ministry announces the disqualification of Chevron company and bars it from signing any deals with the federal Oil Ministry and its companies," the statement said.

Chevron Corp (CVX.N) confirmed last week its purchase of 80 percent of two blocks in Kurdistan, as the second-largest U.S. oil company follows Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) into an area where oil rights are a subject of fierce dispute.

Chevron is purchasing the Sarta and Rovi blocks from India's Reliance Industries Ltd (RELI.NS), where it will be the new partner of Austria's OMV AG (OMVV.VI) - holder of the other 20 percent interest.

Baghdad has a long-running dispute with Kurdistan regional government over oil, lands and sharing revenues and insists that it has the sole authority to manage oil fields and sign deals in the north.

"The reputation and credibility of Chevron and other companies are being tested today and we are fully confident the result of its test is a total failure and it should feel ashamed of its action," the statement said.

 

Wake up. - Due to latest technology , (shale gas ) US + parts of Europe is rapidly becoming less reliant on Middle East oil.

Kurds will end up having to eat their oil. LOL


...


.....

 

Wake up - the US and Europe doesn't consume all of the world's oil. The Kurds will get rich selling their oil to China, India and every other developing country that doesn't produce its own fossil fuels...

 

^^ well said.

 

marlwo

yeah US doesnt want kurdish oil that is why supermajors like Exxon and Chevron have come to Kurdistan

ExxonMobil in - check
Chevron in - checl
Total oil is coming - check
Statoil is coming - check

no more small oil companies like tiny genel energy of turkey, now supermajors are pouring into kurdistan bcoz the oil reserves are vast and in Obamas letter sent to maliki omaba says "kurdistan oil reserve can not be overlooked" a response from iranian puppet to withdraw US oil companies .

 

Go read the posts - China and India have no trouble getting oil from other producers. The point I made was that kurds are land-locked/isolated + should be nice to their neighbours , to get the oil to markets, wherever it may be .


tata.


ALAN - GO READ MY POST #182.


.....

 

Kurdish-Turkish gas pipeline will convert to oil pipeline

Turkish energy company Genel Energy said it expects to convert a natural gas pipeline in KRG to an oil pipeline by the end of the year.

Genel said exports of oil by truck over the Turkish border began in January. It said it expects exports to reach as much as 20,000 barrels of oil per day this year.

Genel Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward said the company started the year strong with "encouraging results" from oil fields in the Kurdistan region.

"As political momentum continues to build and the construction of independent regional infrastructure moves forward rapidly, it is evident that 2013 is set to be a highly significant year for both Genel and the Kurdistan Region's oil and gas industry," he said in a statement.

Genel said it's made significant progress on getting a pipeline to reach the Turkish border. Conversion of a pipeline in the Kurdish region from natural gas to oil could be finished as early as the fourth quarter of this year.

Political disputes between the semi autonomous Kurdish government and the central i-racki government over oil laws are seen as impediments toIraq's oil potential.

Export restrictions had been in place as a sign of growing frustration with the central i-racki government over oil laws in the country.

Source: http://peyamner.com/English/PNAnews.aspx?ID=308959

 

Kurdistan independent oil wealth scares i-rack’s two biggest allies, Iran and United States

BIBLE scholars say the Garden of Eden was in southern i-rack, perhaps where the rivers Tigris and Euphrates meet. But when Iraqis think of earthly paradise they tend to look north, towards Kurdistan. It is easy to see why. Over Nowruz, the spring holiday celebrated last month, picnickers flocked to the autonomous region’s flower-speckled meadows and valleys carved by streams flowing down from snow-capped mountains.

Nature is not South Kurdistan’s only draw. The relative order, security and wealth enjoyed by the 5m residents of i-rack’s three Kurdish provinces are the envy of the remaining 25m who live in the battered bulk of i-rack, and of others too. Since 2011 some 130,000 Syrian refugees, nearly all of them ethnic Kurds, have been welcomed in as brothers; the UN says that number could reach 350,000 by the year’s end. From the east come Iranian Kurds eager to work on the building sites that bristle across a territory the size of Switzerland. From the north come plane-loads of Turkish businessmen seeking profit from a land so rich in oil that its sweet, cloying smell hangs everywhere. i-rack is now Turkey’s second export market after Germany, with 70% of that trade directed to the Kurdish part; 4,000 trucks cross the border daily.
In this section

It was not always like this. Surveying a dusty vista of tents at Domiz, a camp housing more than 50,000 destitute Syrians outside the booming city of Dohuk, an i-racki Kurd shrugs and says, “Twenty years ago this was us.” He is referring to the aftermath of the Anfal, a campaign in the late 1980s by i-rack’s then-leader Saddam Hussein to crush a Kurdish uprising. It left at least 100,000 dead, destroyed 4,000 villages and created 1m refugees.

The imposition of a UN haven allowed Kurdish fighters, the peshmerga, to claw back control in 1991, but the landlocked autonomous region remained surrounded by suspicious powers. Iran, Syria and Turkey all feared that Kurdish nationalism would infect their own minorities. There was trouble within, too. Politics amplified a linguistic divide between South Kurdistan’s east and west, sparking a fratricidal war from 1994 to 1997.

Tensions from that time linger, along with complaints of greed and nepotism in the two ruling parties that dominate the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). i-racki Kurds also yearn to see their de facto independence formalised. To Kurdish eyes this would mean keeping control of land that technically lies outside the three provinces recognised throughout i-rack as Kurdish, and in particular the multi-ethnic but historically Kurdish-tinted city of Kirkuk.

Yet most Kurds accept that patience has paid off, so far. i-rack’s American protectors have kept other foreign powers at bay. The KRG receives 17% of the i-racki federal budget, now a hefty sum thanks to i-rack’s growing oil exports (though the Kurds’ share comes after a 30% deduction for “sovereign” i-racki expenses).

Since the American-led invasion in 2003 i-racki Kurds have rebuilt villages, raised GDP per person tenfold, maintained law and order and turned the peshmerga into a formidable army. Daily blackouts may plague Baghdad, but the KRG exports surplus power to adjacent i-racki towns. Divided at home, the Kurds have united to deal successfully with the federal government, securing good terms in the 2005 constitution and high office in the capital.

Oily borders

Kurdish officials will not speak of independence yet. But several factors point towards a reckoning. One of these is the dismal state of the rest of i-rack. Battered by al-Qaeda bombings and worried by the likely fall of Syria’s pro-Shia government, a growing number of i-racki Shias whisper that they should let the Kurds go, better to control what remains.

Meanwhile Nuri al-Maliki, i-rack’s increasingly dictatorial prime minister, has grown more confrontational towards the Kurds. In December he sent troops to Kirkuk, prompting the KRG to mobilise the peshmerga. In March, over Kurdish objections, the federal parliament passed a $118-billion budget that allotted just $650m to pay what the KRG claims is a $3.5 billion debt it owes foreign oil companies. The angry Kurds withdrew their federal ministers and MPs. They now have no official representation in Baghdad; Jalal Talabani, Kurdish president, whose easy-going charm has often soothed troubles, has been ill in Germany since December.

Whatever the current desires of politicians, oil finds may redraw i-rack’s borders. The Kurds say i-rack’s constitution frees autonomous regions to develop new fields, and have attracted big foreign firms with production-sharing deals that let them book reserves as assets. Baghdad says these are illegal; oil is the property of the people and all revenues must go to the central state. It is annoyed, too, that some of the 50-odd deals signed by the KRG fall in disputed territory.

So long as most of i-rack’s oil output came from the south, and so long as it controlled export pipelines, Baghdad held the upper hand. But Kurdistan turns out to have a lot of oil. Proven reserves are now put at 45 billion barrels, a third or less of i-rack’s total, but still nearly double America’s. Kurdish production capacity is rising fast. It should reach 1m barrels a day by 2015 and possibly 2m by 2020, says an executive at Genel, a British-Turkish firm that is Kurdistan’s biggest operator.

Squabbles with Baghdad have led to repeated shutdowns of the main pipeline to Turkey, but growing volumes go by tanker truck, solidifying a budding Kurdish-Turkish alliance that would have shocked both peoples only a few years ago. The KRG expects a pipeline to Turkey to be complete by September. Turkey, meanwhile, is keen to diversify away from reliance on Iran and Russia. It helps, too, that many of Turkey’s energy firms are politically close to the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party, which has, not coincidentally, lately made headway in securing peace with Turkey’s own Kurds. Officials in Ankara, the Turkish capital, hint that a deal is in the works, covering exploration, production and transport of both oil and natural gas.

This prospect alarms the government in Baghdad, and not only because Mr Maliki tends to see Turkey through sectarian lenses as a meddling Sunni behemoth. If Kurdistan secures independent oil wealth, other parts of i-rack could follow. This is a fear shared, oddly enough, by i-rack’s two biggest allies, Iran and the United States. The Americans have repeatedly moved to curb Kurdish ambitions while encouraging Baghdad to accommodate them. But the prize for both Kurds and Turks is starting to look too big for i-rack’s future to be settled with yet fuzzier compromises.

Source: The Economist

the only thing now connecting South Kurdistan with i-rack is economy with this pipeline completed that will make Kurdistan totally independent from chaotic (*)(*)(*)(*)hole i-rack.

 

they ´d use it instead