Iraq isn’t seeking exemption from OPEC+ production cuts because it does not want crude prices to drop, Alsabaah newspaper reported Nov. 29, citing the country’s oil minister Ihsan Ismaael. Oil ministers are set to meet Nov. 30-Dec. 1 to discuss a potential delay in plans to increase output as of …
Read More »OPEC and the Pandemic has Broken the U.S. Shale Market
OPEC’s oil ministers have a few challenges to consider at a crucial summit next week, but for the first time in years, the U.S. shale boom won’t be at the top of the list. The global coronavirus pandemic continues to play havoc with the world’s economic sector, and oil prices …
Read More »Iraq Amends Oil Density Compensation Plan Starting with 2021 Exports
Iraq’s Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) has revised the price mechanism used to compensate buyers for fluctuations in the density of its crude exports, starting with shipments in 2021, according to a Nov. 23 notice to clients reviewed by Reuters The announcement follows SOMO’s plan to launch a third crude oil …
Read More »Iraq must Negotiate with OPEC if the Reduction Period was Extended
Member of the Parliamentary Oil and Energy Committee, MP Ghalib Muhammad, called on Sunday to conduct negotiations with OPEC+ to reduce Iraq’s percentage of production cuts, in case it is decided to extend the reduction period again. Muhammad said in an interview with Shafaq News agency, “Iraq is one of …
Read More »US Extends Sanctions Waiver for Iraq to Import Iranian Gas
Washington has granted Iraq a shortened 45-day sanctions waiver to import Iranian gas that will expire days before US President Donald Trump’s term ends, an Iraqi official said Saturday. Baghdad buys gas and electricity from its neighbor Tehran to supply about a third of its power sector, worn down by …
Read More »Iraq to Invite International Firms to Help Build 300,000 b/d Refinery
Iraq plans to invite international companies to compete in order to build a 300,000 b/d refinery south of the country, the oil minister said Nov. 18, as OPEC’s second largest oil producer seeks to wean itself off crude products imports. The refinery, to be built in Fao in the Basra …
Read More »Iraq Attempts to Seize Market in the Crucial Asian Market
Every new crisis is a formidable opportunity to try new things, oftentimes merely to have another go with methods that have failed in the past but should work better now. Cognizant of the pricing developments in the Asian market, the Iraqi state oil marketing company SOMO has announced that from …
Read More »Iraq Increases Its Oil Production
Many countries including Iraq increased their October oil production. OPEC reported. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said “oil production in the 13 member states increased last October, reaching 24.386 million bpd which is 322 thousand bpd more than September'”. “The most oil-producing countries in October are Libya, Iraq, and …
Read More »Iraq and Saudi Arabia Agree to Coordinate Positions within OPEC
Iraq and Saudi Arabia have agreed to coordinate positions within OPEC and cooperate in the energy sector, according to a joint statement following the work of the two countries’ coordinating council. On Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud held a videoconference with Iraqi Prime Minister …
Read More »Fears over Demand Eclipse COVID-19 Optimism after an Overnight Soaring of Prices
Oil prices dropped on Tuesday as concerns over demand in the near term in Europe and the United States returned to haunt the market after an overnight surge on progress towards a COVID-19 vaccine. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 60 cents, or 1.5%, to $39.69 a barrel …
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