Iraq expects to approve Maysan oilfield deal (with China) soon

Source: Reuters (India)

BAGHDAD, March 2 (Reuters) - Iraq's cabinet is expected to approve in the coming days a contract with China's CNOOC to develop the 2.5-billion-barrel Maysan oilfield complex, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said on Tuesday.

CNOOC, together with Sinochem, made an unsuccessful bid for the three Maysan fields in Iraq's first auction of oilfield contracts last year. Since then CNOOC had decided to accept the government's proposed remuneration fee of $2.30 for every additional barrel of oil produced.

"With any contract, we present the issue to the cabinet and when the approval comes, we inform the company ... to (be able to then) sign the contract. I expect this to be in the coming days," Shahristani told Reuters.

The deal would be another in a series of contracts that Iraq has signed in a bid to boost its output capacity to 12 million barrels per day, rivalling top producer Saudi Arabia, from around 2.5 million bpd now.

Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINLDE6211XY20100302

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..When I carried a sign that said "no blood for oil," this isn't exactly what I had in mind.

It has nothing to do with Obama making the US less safe...It has everything to do with Cheney not having his buddies controlling all of Iraq's oil!

Open Iraq oil fields to foreign investors!:sarcasm: