The Halfaya oilfield in Amara, southeast of Baghdad
Letter from Iraq: Licences fail to lure IOCs
Oil majors play it safe amid unfavourable terms in latest oil and gas licensing bid rounds allowing Chinese low-ball moves
Iraq held its combined ‘fifth-plus’ and sixth licensing rounds in May. The offering had been since two years previously, when the Ministry of Oil announced the round with 30 blocks. The projects are distributed into 16 within the fifth-plus round, including eight exploratory oil blocks, and 14 blocks within the sixth round, including 11 blocks for non-associated gas exploration and three oil and gas blocks. The ministry was keen on the geographical distribution of these projects, and they included all the governorates of Iraq—from Nineveh and Anbar through to Salah al-Din, Najaf, Karbala, Babylon, Qadisiyah, Muthanna, Basra, Maysan, Wasit, Diyala and the capital, Baghdad—to contribute to ach
Also in this section
23 July 2025
The country’s energy minister explains in an exclusive interview how the country is taking a pragmatic and far-sighted approach to energy security and why he has great confidence in its oil sector
23 July 2025
Gas is unlikely to assume a major role in Albania’s energy mix for years to come, but two priority projects are making headway and helping to establish the sector
22 July 2025
The gas-hungry sector is set for rapid growth, and oil majors and some of the world’s largest LNG firms are investing in ammonia production and export facilities, though much depends on regulatory support
22 July 2025
Next year’s WPC Energy Congress taking place in April in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will continue to promote the role of women in the energy sector, with a number of events focusing on the issue.
