Iraq cuts output targets in new deals
REVISED AGREEMENT WITH OIL MAJOR FOR GIANT RUMAILA OILFIELD CUT THE PLANNED PLATEAU LEVEL TO 2.1M BPD
Iraq signed revised contracts with foreign oil companies for two southern oilfields yesterday that reduced their production targets and extended the life of the deals, Iraqi oil officials said. The revised dealwith oil major BP for Iraq’s giant Rumaila oilfield cut the planned plateau level to 2.1 million barrels per day from2.85 million bpd, Salah Mohammad, general manager of the Rumaila Operating Organisation, said.
Iraq also agreed with China’s CNPC to slash the final output target from the Halfaya oilfield to 400,000 bpd from 535,000 bpd, Adnan Noshi, head of state- run Maysan Oil Co, said.
Iraq had set an overall production capacity target of 12 million bpd by 2020, which would rival that of top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, after it signed service contracts in 2009- 2010 to develop its southern oilfields.
Oil majors working in Iraq include BP, leader at Rumaila; ExxonMobil, in charge of West Qurna 1; andRoyal Dutch Shell, operator of Majnoon.
But crumbling infrastructure, red tape and a lack of clear oil legislation have stunted investor interest. Iraq has repeatedly failed to reach its ambitious targets, and current output from the southern fields is around 3 million bpd.
Baghdad has reduced the overall capacity target to 8.5- 9 million bpd and returned to the negotiating table to discuss revised plateau production rates with oil companies.
Newgoals
Rumaila, the workhorse of Iraq’s oil industry which BP operates with CNPC, has estimated reserves of 17 billion barrels. It currently produces around 1.3 million bpd, Salah said, adding he expected that output level to remain steady for the rest of the year.
Officials from BP and Iraq’s oil ministry signed the amendment