IOCs stay committed to south Iraq

IOCs are pushing ahead with plans for output expansion—and the phasing out of flaring—despite Basra violence this summer

BP and Russia's Lukoil will move forward with output increases at their flagship projects in southern Iraq despite civil unrest that roiled the region this summer. Shell is also gearing up for an expansion of its gas venture which should deliver economic and social benefits. BP, operator of the Rumaila field, Iraq's largest producer, aims to lift production there from its current 1.48m barrels a day to 2.1m b/d, although this is a downward revision from an initial target of 2.85m b/d due to logistical constraints such as the water supply, and has no intention of pulling out in the wake of violent protests in Basra. "BP has been successfully operating the Rumaila oilfield for the past eight y