Oil Law, Oil Gas Related News Thread

[neno]

Zebari : enactment of a special law distribution of oil revenues in the near future to resolve major political issues
Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister

18/06/2007 07:43

CNN In an interview with CNN, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that political and religious leaders in the country are united in their efforts to prevent sectarian violence and killings.
Zebari also expressed his optimism that the Iraqis Christerson progress in relation to achieving the goals they set for themselves, but indicated that they would impose on themselves a timetable.
The Iraqi minister said that the near future will witness the enactment of the special distribution of oil habits. He added : "There are witnessing in recent towards achieving the goals set by the Baghdad government, but not the same speed he likes our friends the Americans."

Zebari said that politicians in the country are trying to move quickly to resolve major political issues.
He cited Zebari addressed in a recent government an attack on Mazar-e-Shia in Samarra as evidence of the persistence and determination of his government.

"The government has moved quickly compared with the previous bombing, and streamlined its hegemony on the situation - as we have seen retaliatory operations that we have seen when the first explosion occurred."

Radio Sawa - زيباري: سن قانون خاص بتوزيع عائدات النÙ�Ø· Ù�ÙŠ المستقبل القريب ÙˆØ*Ù„ القضايا السياسية الرئيسية

[rvalreadydang]

Zebari : Adoption of the Law on the distribution of oil revenues for the Iraqi people
Source : Zora
18 / 06 / 07 .Egyptian Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that the near future will witness the law on the distribution of oil on the habits of the Iraqi people.
".Zebari said in an interview with CNN that "political and religious leaders in Iraq are united in their efforts to prevent sectarian violence and killings."
".He Zebari expressed optimism that "Iraqis Christerson progress in relation to achieving the goals set for themselves, but indicated that they would impose on themselves a timetable."
".Zebari added that "there are witnessing in recent towards achieving the goals set by the Iraqi government but not the same speed he likes our friends the Americans, as he put it."
".Zebari explained that "politicians in Iraq are trying to move quickly to resolve the key political issues, citing a deal with the events government attack on the military tombs of the two Imams in Samarra as evidence of the persistence and determination of the Iraqi government."
".He pointed out that "the government moved quickly compared with previous bombings and streamlined its hegemony over the situation which led to prevent retaliatory operations in Iraq during the first explosion in which he was sleeping arrangements Sharif during the past year."

.On the other hand, defended General David Berr íos commander of the American forces in Iraq by the American forces arming some Sunni factions to fight Al Qaeda in Baghdad and the Diyala and Al-Anbar.
Fox News ".In reply to a question on Fox News Network raised fears that manages Sunni faction militias armed by the Americans about American and Iraqi forces Berr íos explained that "these legitimate fears and share with the Iraqis and we are in constant dialogue with them."
".He added Berr íos "that the American forces are trying to identify those persons and the introduction of names of Informatics and providing them with weapons and shoulder-known figures trying hosted within the force that we might call the legitimacy of special police forces, improving their abilities when Senjuallahm studying at the police academy."
".Pointing out that "the experience of Anbar has been very successful in arming the tribes to fight against Al Qaeda Nuri al-Maliki has confirmed its support what we are doing there in addition to the northern suburbs of Baghdad and the southern region."

ÔÈßÉ ÇáÒæÑÇÁ ÇáÃÚáÇãíÉ - ÒíÈÇÑí : ÇÞÑÇÑ ÞÇäæä ÎÇÕ ÈÊæÒíÚ ÚÇÆÏÇÊ ÇáäÝØ Úáì ÇáÔÚÈ ÇáÚÑÇÞí

[nikki]

U.S. embassy official: advances had been made with Iraq's hydrocarbon laws

<snip>

But the U.S. embassy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said advances had been made on the hydrocarbon laws that will determine control of Iraq's rich oil fields and how to distribute revenue from them between the provinces and central government.

more at linky...
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18672237.htm

[Mike5200]

Iraq's Unbreakable Deadlock
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted GMT 6-17-2007 16:30:45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Furious at the demolition of the remaining two minarets of the Shia Askariya Mosque in Samarra on Wednesday, radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr instructed his followers in the Iraqi parliament to boycott the chamber and stay out until the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki promises to rebuild the mosque and strengthen security at all holy sites.

This is bad news for the Bush administration: it is keen to see the Iraqi legislature pass expeditiously crucial laws on oil, constitutional changes, and liberalising the de-Baathification policy - all geared to creating national reconciliation among Shias, Sunnis and Kurds. Even at the best of times parliamentary leaders have to struggle to ensure a quorum. With 30 Sadrist MPs abstaining in a house of 275, the chances of a quorate chamber is much reduced.

From Washington's viewpoint, the time frame is crucial too. The US Congress for the war in Iraq only until September and laid out legislative benchmarks for the Iraqi government on hydrocarbons, constitution and de-Baathification. With Baghdad drenched in searing heat in July and August, MPs are anxious to go on vacation, thus leaving White House officials fretting over the delay.

After much discussion, the draft oil law, crafted chiefly by the Shia oil minister Hussein al-Shahristani, won the approval of the Iraqi cabinet in late February. The White House applauded the decision partly because it incorporated the principle of hydrocarbon revenues to be distributed to provinces on a basis of population - a main demand of Sunni leaders, well aware that the Sunni-dominated areas lack oilfields.

But it has become bogged down in the parliamentary committee. The differences between the Sunni and Kurdish MPs on the centralisation and liberalisation of the industry have proved irreconcilable.

The draft legislation stipulates a Federal Oil and Gas Council led by the prime minister to oversee all future contracts and review the existing ones. These include the five contracts the Kurdistan's regional government has already signed with foreign companies. The Kurdish MPs want these agreements rubber-stamped by the central authority. Since such an undertaking has not materialised they have blocked the progress of the legislation.

The Kurds are also unhappy about the creation of a reconstituted, state-owned Iraqi National Oil Company under central control proposed in the draft law, a measure strongly backed by Sunni leaders who see such an institution underwriting the territorial integrity of Iraq.

Acute differences have also surfaced on the issue of reviewing the constitution, which was endorsed in a referendum in October 2005 and paved the way for parliamentary elections in January.

Pressured by the White House to meet its arbitrary deadline, the architects of the constitution postponed contentious issues, even omitting to give the federal government the right to levy taxes.

To plug such holes, and conciliate the Sunni community, which had boycotted the poll for the constituent assembly, the parliament appointed a 31-member review committee to consider possible amendments and report within four months.

The initial bonhomie among the committee members disappeared as they began grappling with the thorny question of the division of revenue and powers between the centre and the regions. Allied with this issue is the controversial proposal of holding a fresh census as the basis for allocation of federal funds - and the future of the oil-rich province of Tamim, whose capital is Kirkuk.

A quick resolution is not in sight. "We have not committed to doing it [the review] by September," said Humam Hamoudi, a Shia leader and a co-chairman of the parliamentary committee. "Maybe the American Congress has made such a commitment, but we have not."

The Maliki government found its move on liberalising the de-Baathification programme - a stark subject - quickly torpedoed by Ahmad Chalabi, head of the De-Baathification Commission.

On 26 March, Maliki and Iraq's Kurdish President Jalal Talabani released the draft of the Reconciliation and Accountability Law, backed by the then-US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad (a Sunni Afghan-American), and Sunni leaders.

The proposed legislation allowed former Baathist government employees to collect their pensions, and made ex-Baathists eligible for jobs in the civil service. It decreed the closure of the De-Baathification Commission within a year.

Stung, Chalabi, a secular Shia lacking any representation for his political group in the parliament, encouraged Shia officials in southern Iraq to complain, and then presented their statements to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on 1 April. The next day Sistani's aide expressed "a general feeling of rejection" about the draft law. That killed it. The efforts to forge a milder version of it have not gone far.

While Congress and the White House wait anxiously for General David Petraeus's report on insurgency and sectarian violence in Iraq due in September, politicians and parliamentarians in Baghdad continue to operate at their own pace. And why should they not?

By Dilip Hiro
Guardian Unlimited: Comment is free

© 2007, Assyrian International News Agency

[mewannapeg]

Iraq to allocate 3% of oil profits for refugees
MENAFN - 18/06/2007

MENAFN) Iraq's Foreign Minister announced that the ministry is planning proposals to assign a portion of the country's oil profit for Iraqi refugees in bordering countries, Iraq Directory reported.

He went on to say that millions of Iraqi citizens have left to neighboring countries, mainly to Syria and Jordan and are living in poor environments and that this is the main reason for the current measures.

It is worth mentioning that the Iraqi Parliament will vote on a proposal in which three percent of Iraqi oil profits will go neighboring countries, particularly Syria and Jordan.

MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Iraq to allocate 3% of oil profits for refugees

[Hkp]

Zebari : enactment of a special law in the distribution of oil revenues

(Voice of Iraq) - 18-06-2007

Send this topic to a friend

Zebari : enactment of a special law distribution of oil revenues in the near future to resolve major political issues
In an interview with CNN, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that political and religious leaders in the country are united in their efforts to prevent sectarian violence and killings.

Zebari also expressed his optimism that the Iraqis Christerson progress in relation to achieving the goals they set for themselves, but indicated that they would impose on themselves a timetable.

The Iraqi minister said that the near future will witness the enactment of the special distribution of oil habits. He added : "There are witnessing in recent towards achieving the goals set by the Baghdad government, but not the same speed he likes our friends the Americans."


Zebari said that politicians in the country are trying to move quickly to resolve major political issues.

He cited Zebari addressed in a recent government an attack on Mazar-e-Shia in Samarra as evidence of the persistence and determination of his government.


The government has moved quickly compared with the previous bombing, and streamlined its hegemony on the situation - as we have seen retaliatory operations that we have seen when the first explosion occurred."

sawa

Sawa

Translated version of http://www.sotaliraq.com/

[Hkp]

Oil Minister denying the report credited to the International Council for consultation and follow-up on the oil export sales and revenues

Luna / June 18 / BAGHDAD / denied Oil Minister Dr. Hussein Shahrastani what special reports from the ministry on oil production and sales stressing that it is free of Ticking
He added Shahrastani said in a press statement that the ministry has installed meters has been agreed with major international companies specialized in the monument for the measurement according to the international standards, he said, adding that the company Ernst & Yong for the International Council of consultation and follow-up on the oil export sales and revenues for 2006 came with false and inaccurate

He explained that Shahrastani previous method of calculation adopted by the ministry for several years are also internationally recognized means was adopted export ports in the southern recommendation of a committee of the United Nations after the Security Council's approval of the Memorandum of Understanding oil-for-food states that an agency of the United Nations said that the audit of revenue Iraqi oil reached the conclusion that a follow-up oil production and sales tools lacked proper oversight has led to mismanagement of funds, said the draft report prepared by Ernst & Yong for the International Council for consultation and follow-up on the oil export sales and revenues for 2006 that earlier fears about the lack of means of monitoring and financial management Iraqi oil did not address
The report said the auditors also pointed out significant differences can not be explained with respect to the extraction, production and export sales because there is no comprehensive system for the control of oil revenues and added that the installation of a system for measuring production application of the earlier proposal of the Council will lead to a significant improvement in overall control and continued that While the current situation in Iraq is difficult, a factor worrying lack of sufficient progress in addressing the weaknesses cited by reports of previous audits, the report said the audit raised fears of a new precedent for the management of agency contracts in Iraq / / completed / p u / u p / oil.

Translated version of http://www.wna-news.com/inanews/news.php?item.4330.5

[Hkp]

Iraq to allocate 3% of oil profits for refugees

MENAFN - 18/06/2007

(MENAFN) Iraq's Foreign Minister announced that the ministry is planning proposals to assign a portion of the country's oil profit for Iraqi refugees in bordering countries, Iraq Directory reported.

He went on to say that millions of Iraqi citizens have left to neighboring countries, mainly to Syria and Jordan and are living in poor environments and that this is the main reason for the current measures.

It is worth mentioning that the Iraqi Parliament will vote on a proposal in which three percent of Iraqi oil profits will go neighboring countries, particularly Syria and Jordan.


MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Iraq to allocate 3% of oil profits for refugees

[mewannapeg]

Iraqi union leader urges opposition to oil law
18 Jun 2007 18:55:08 GMT
Source: Reuters

NEW YORK, June 18 (Reuters) - A proposed law regulating Iraq's oil industry would foster U.S. "hegemony" over the world's third largest oil reserves and Iraqi oil workers are determined to oppose it, an Iraqi union leader said on Monday. Faleh Abood Umara, general secretary of the Southern Oil Company Union and the Iraqi Federation of Oil Workers' Unions, was speaking in New York as part of a U.S. tour to press for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq. Washington has been pressing Iraq's government to enact the law which the U.S. administration sees as a benchmark of progress toward national reconciliation more than four years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Umara said the proposed law amounted to "a raid by the international oil cartel" and he said unions representing thousands of workers in the industry would take strong measures to oppose it, including strikes if necessary. International firms are waiting for an energy law to regulate how the oil wealth would be distributed before they start pumping money into the country, where the oil industry was crippled by a decade of sanctions even before the war. "We think the proposed oil law doesn't serve the interests of the Iraqi people at all," Umara told a news conference in New York. "It emphasizes or confirms American hegemony over Iraqi oil fields." He said the proposed law favored foreign oil companies at the expense of Iraqi workers and would not guarantee enough of a share of the revenues to the Iraqi state. The law was endorsed by the cabinet in February and was due to be passed by the parliament in May, but political wrangling has continued. Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said in late May he expected it to be passed in the coming two months. Umara said a key demand that sparked a strike earlier this month by oil workers in southern Iraq was to delay adoption of the oil law and renegotiate its terms. He described the strike as a "success" and said the government had agreed to form a committee including union leaders to resolve the problems with the law. "If this law is legislated, I'm sure that our union and other unions in Iraq will take a very strong position against it," Umara said. "We will take strong measures, even including stopping the flow of oil." "We are the ones who run the pumps to the ports and we also control the ports," he said. The strike by around 600 pipeline workers earlier this month did not effect crude oil exports. Basra, Iraq's second largest city and its gateway to the Gulf, has been the scene of a power struggle among Shi'ite factions seeking control of its oil wealth. Umara said the union was independent of any political faction. With most oil reserves in Iraq in the Kurdish north and Shi'ite south, an equitable distribution of oil revenues is key to easing violence that has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis and more than 3,500 U.S. troops since the 2003 invasion. After years of sanctions, neglect and sabotage, the oil industry needs billions of dollars in investment to boost output and increase revenues to rebuild the economy. Oil production in Iraq is stuck at around 2 million barrels per day (bpd), well down on the nearly 3 million bpd hit in the final days of Saddam and even further from the 3.7 million bpd pumped in 1979, prior to the Iran-Iraq war.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N18475951.htm

[Hkp]

The Adoption Law near oil and gas

Zebari : the near future will witness the resolution of political issues Chairperson
Baghdad-up morning
Egyptian Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that political and religious leaders in Iraq are united in their efforts to prevent sectarian violence and killings

He Zebari Network (CNN) expressed optimism that the American officials in the State Christerson progress in relation to achieving the goals they set for themselves, but indicated that they would impose on themselves a timetable. The Foreign Minister said that the near future will witness the enactment of the special distribution of oil habits. He pointed out that there are witnessing in recent towards achieving the goals set by the Baghdad government, but not the same speed he likes our friends the Americans. " Zebari explained that the politicians are trying to move quickly to resolve the political issues President, referring to the manner in which the government during the terrorist act which targeted the goat military Imams (peace to them) in Samarra. The Foreign Minister said the government has moved quickly compared with the previous bombing, and streamlined its hegemony on the situation - as we have seen retaliatory operations that we have seen when the first explosion occurred

Translated version of http://www.alsabaah.com/