Parlamento cuestiona al Ministro de Petroleo

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Dis...9062371511.xml

Iraqi oil minister to face House today

Web posted at: 6/23/2009 7:15:11
Source ::: REUTERS

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al Shahristani will appear before parliament today to defend the country’s first major auction of oil field contracts since the fall of Saddam Hussein, officials said.

Some lawmakers doubt the contracts are in Iraq’s best interests, arguing the country has already invested large sums of its own in the fields, and they want to grill Shahristani on the details.

Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said Shahristani and senior officials from the petroleum contracts and licensing directorate would answer questions and remove any “ambiguity” about the deals, which are due to be announced on June 29-30.

Eager to win access to the world’s third-largest oil reserves, 32 of the world’s biggest energy companies have qualified and paid to take part in the tender. But the fixed-fee service contracts to develop Iraq’s six biggest producing oil fields and two undeveloped gas fields have drawn criticism within the state-run oil sector.

The tenders are a cornerstone of the country’s plans to boost output to over 6 million barrels per day from 2.3-2.4 million b/d within five years. Baghdad needs cash from bigger oil sales to rebuild after decades of conflict. The secretary of parliament’s oil and gas committee said the minister had to explain his approach.

http://www.forexpros.com/news/commod...to-deals-65308


Iraq oil min in parliament, facing threats to deals

2009-06-23 13:38:51 GMT (Reuters)



* Committee's Kurd chairman pledges to totally reject deals

* Unclear if parliament can stop auctioning of oil resources

BAGHDAD, June 23 (Reuters) - Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani was summoned to Iraq's parliament on Tuesday to answer criticism about plans to award major energy contracts next week, deals which some lawmakers have vowed to derail.

"We will not allow the Oil Ministry to move ahead, ignoring parliament and signing (energy) contracts in the first bidding round, since they are illegal and unconstitutional," said Ali Hussain Balou, who heads parliament's oil and gas committee.

Balou, a member of a Kurdish minority that has long assailed Shahristani's management of the oil sector, pledged to "totally reject" the plans to award eight long-term oil and gas contracts on June 29-30 unless they had been approved by parliament.

Shahristani was due to be questioned by lawmakers later.

It is unclear whether parliament can do anything to stop the Oil Ministry's plan to conclude the bidding process, which will be Iraq's first auction of prized oil resources to leading energy firms since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Balou called for other senior officials in the state-run oil industry to appear in parliament.

Some of those executives have criticised the Oil Ministry for offering oilfields already in production rather than undeveloped fields, and for setting out terms they say will deprive Iraq of its due rewards.

ARABS AGAINST KURDS

Iraq's vast oil reserves, the world's third largest, offer hope for a country struggling to rebuild after more than six years of bloodshed and destruction triggered by the 2003 U.S. invasion.

But the tussle for control over the oil wealth has also pitted Arabs against Kurds -- presenting Iraq with a potential new flashpoint for broad conflict -- and prevented the passage through parliament of modern hydrocarbon legislation.

Shahristani's appearance in parliament underscores the fierce debate over how best to exploit Iraq's reserves and boost lacklustre oil production.

Output, at 2.3 million to 2.4 million barrels per day, remains below where it stood before the invasion.

The contracts on offer give foreign firms no share of production but pay them a development fee.

The semi-autonomous Kurdish authorities in the north have struck their own parallel energy deals with private firms but the Oil Ministry has rejected those as illegal.

Kurdish officials have warned in return that they might reject any contract the Oil Ministry issued to a private firm to develop the Kirkuk oilfields, a major oil-producing region that Kurds claim as their ancestral capital and where their Peshmerga forces currently provide security.

"If (Shahristani) dares to sign these contracts, he must assume responsibility for the consequences," Balou said.


(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Waleed Ibrahim; writing by Missy Ryan; editing by James Jukwey)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...3pVOHsC1ucWTyA

Iraq oil minister insists strategy is on track

By Mehdi Lebouachera – 4 hours ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Iraq's oil minister Hussein al-Shahristani on Tuesday defended his strategy for tapping the country's vast energy reserves, insisting that output must increase before new fields can be explored.

Iraq is due to announce which of 31 foreign and state-owned bidders have won deals to operate six major oil fields and two gas fields, for which the government will pay fees rather than share profits, on June 29 and 30.

Shahristani, accused by MPs of mismanagement resulting in 10 billion dollars in lost revenue for a federal budget that is projected to go into deficit, insisted his policy is on track.

"We have started to develop the oil producing fields because it is faster and Iraq is in extreme need to increase its production," said Shahristani."The undiscovered fields need time for drilling.

"If we keep working on our existing fields without digging anew and putting in more effort, production will decrease," he added.

Shahristani did, however, say that unexplored fields will be opened up to bidders in the future.

He also hit back at criticism from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, which earlier on Tuesday said Baghdad's policy was "unconstitutional and against the economic interests of the Iraqi people."

The oil ministry and Kurdistan are at loggerheads over how foreign companies working to exploit the nation's vast oil and gas reserves should be paid.

Iraq's decision to award service contracts differs from Kurdistan, where numerous profit-sharing deals have been struck.

"The regional government of Kurdistan has made clear progress in increasing Iraq's oil exports and oil revenues in a short time," it said in a statement.

"This progress has been made by focusing on exploration and not on existing fields, in line with the best practices of international markets, and in accordance with the principles of the Constitution of Iraq.

"The regional government regrets that it cannot say the same thing on the procedures taken by the Federal Ministry of Oil of Iraq," the statement added.

Article 109 of Iraq's constitution says that oil and gas resources must be developed "in a way that achieves the highest benefit to the Iraqi people," in a way "consistent with market principles and that best encourages investment."

Shahristani's critics have accused him of taking an ultra-nationalist approach, possibly deterring investment, by insisting that oil wealth -- meaning profits -- cannot be shared with foreign companies.

The service agreement shortlist was first announced by Baghdad in June 2008 and includes global energy giants Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and Sinopec, as well as large Iraqi state-owned operators.

The oil ministry has since repeatedly delayed announcing the bid winners.

Iraq has the world's third largest proven reserves of oil after Saudi Arabia and Iran, but development of the conflict-ravaged country's fields has been very slow.

BAGDAD (AFP) - el petróleo de Irak ministro Hussein al-Shahristani, el martes defendió su estrategia del país para aprovechar la vasta reserva de energía, insistiendo en que debe aumentar la producción antes de que los nuevos campos se pueden explorar.

Iraq se debe a anunciar que, de 31 de exterior y de propiedad estatal, los concursantes han ganado ofertas para operar seis grandes campos petroleros y dos campos de gas, para lo cual el gobierno pagará las tasas en lugar de compartir los beneficios, el 29 de junio y 30.

Shahristani, acusado por diputados de la mala gestión resultantes en 10 mil millones de dólares en pérdida de ingresos para un presupuesto federal que se proyecta para entrar en déficit, insistió en su política está en marcha.

"Hemos comenzado a desarrollar los campos productores de petróleo porque es más rápido y el Iraq se encuentra en extrema necesidad de aumentar su producción", dijo Shahristani. "El tiempo necesario descubrir los campos de perforación.

"Si seguimos trabajando en nuestros campos, sin excavación y puesta de nuevo en un mayor esfuerzo, la producción disminuye", añadió.

Shahristani, sin embargo, decir que inexplorados campos que se abren a los concursantes en el futuro.

También golpeó de nuevo en las críticas de Iraq autónoma región kurda, que antes dijo el martes Bagdad la política era "inconstitucional y en contra de los intereses económicos del pueblo iraquí."

El ministerio del petróleo y el Kurdistán son enfrentados sobre cómo las empresas extranjeras para explotar el trabajo de la gran nación reservas de petróleo y gas debe ser pagado.

Iraq decisión de adjudicación de los contratos de servicios difiere de Kurdistán, donde numerosas ofertas de participación en los beneficios han sido golpeadas.

"El gobierno regional de Kurdistán ha hecho claros progresos en el aumento de las exportaciones de petróleo del Iraq y los ingresos del petróleo en un corto tiempo", dijo en una declaración.

"Este progreso se ha logrado centrándose en la exploración y no en los campos existentes, en línea con las mejores prácticas de los mercados internacionales, y de conformidad con los principios de la Constitución de Irak.

"El Gobierno regional lamenta que no puede decir lo mismo sobre los procedimientos adoptadas por el Ministerio del Petróleo de Irak", añade la declaración.

El artículo 109 de la constitución de Iraq dice que los recursos de petróleo y gas se deben desarrollar "de manera que se consiga el mayor beneficio para el pueblo iraquí", de una manera "coherente con los principios de mercado y que mejor fomente la inversión."

Shahristani de críticos han acusado de tener un enfoque ultra-nacionalista, posiblemente disuadir la inversión, al insistir en que la riqueza petrolera - el sentido de los beneficios - no puede ser compartida con empresas extranjeras.

El acuerdo de servicios de lista fue anunciada por Bagdad en junio de 2008 e incluye a los gigantes mundiales de la energía Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron y Sinopec, así como las grandes de propiedad estatal iraquí operadores.

El ministerio del petróleo se ha retrasado en repetidas ocasiones la oferta de anunciar los ganadores.

Irak tiene la tercera mayor del mundo las reservas de petróleo después de Arabia Saudita e Irán, pero el desarrollo del país asolado por los conflictos en las esferas ha sido muy lento.