Iraqi government invites Russian national major Gazprom to end the control on Kurdish oil fields. US concern Exxon quits a Kurdish gas field's exploitation after Bagdad criticized the direct relationship international energetic companies have with Kurdish local authority. The growing role Iraqi oil supplies' export is going to play for China.
Russians and Americans have to leave Iraq because of contracts' signatures with Kurdish local authorities. On Thursday 11/8, Iraqi government's spokesman Faycal Abdullah declared the intention to throw off Russian national major Gazprom from Kurdish oil field's exploitation.
As AFP reported, the Iraqi government wants that all international energetic companies negotiate contracts on Kurdish oil field exploitation directly with Bagdad, and no more with the Autonomous Province of Kurdistan.
On August 2012, Gazprom signed an agreement with Kurdish local authority for the exploitation of the 80% of Badra oil filed. Following Iraqi government's critics about Russian-Kurdish relationship, Gazprom did not still deliver any official comment about the situation.
For the same reason as Gazprom, US energetic concern Exxon quitted Kudra 1 Iraqi second oil field's exploitation. Kudra 1 exploitation begun on January 2010 by an agreement between the US concern and the Kurdish local authority.
As Gazeta Wyborcza reported, following first Iraqi national government 's protests, Exxon already started negotiations with British concern BP and Russian company Lukoil to sell its stakes in the important kurdish oil field.
According to Reuters, also Turkish energetic company TPAO seems to have troubles with Iraqi government. Without any official explanation, Bagdad decided to bring from TPAO a 30% of its stakes in Iraqi national oil fields in favor of Kuwait Energy company.
A possible reason why the Iraqi government decided to harden its position with Russia and the USA is probably due to the growing role Bagdad is going to have in oil world export's field.
According to a IEA report, Iraq will be able to deliver enough oil to China in order to guarantee Chinese energetic internal need.
In next years, Pekin is going to increase oil and gas imports for Chinese industry and internal market. At the same time, Iraq will overcame Russia taking from Moscow the second place in world oil exporters' ranking.
Matteo Cazzulani
