Iraq awards Kirkuk oil tender to Exxon, Total, Respol, Tupras

[UpInArms]

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B0EFBD2C4%2D633B%2D4DEB%2D823F%2D566E9B4A1EE5%7D

BAGHDAD (MarketWatch) -- Iraq has awarded its first Kirkuk oil tender in over a year to ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM), Total SA (TOT), Repsol YPF SA (REP) and Tupras (TUPRS.IS), an Iraqi oil official said Wednesday.

The State Oil Marketing Organization will later Wednesday announce full details of the tender, the first since the end of May 2004 because of persistent sabotage against the pipeline linking the Kirkuk oil fields in northern Iraq to the export terminal in Ceyhan, Turkey.

The official said he couldn't confirm how much oil each firm will lift.

However, the tender announcement on June 20 said the available crude would be in lots of 1 million barrels each, for lifting July 1-10.

The tender award is a boost for the Iraqi oil industry, which has been struggling to keep oil exports steady because technical problems and sabotage have reduced flows to around 1.5 million barrels a day from around 2.0 million b/d before the war.

...more...

[maddezmom]

1. it was only a matter of time

now it's official...

:puke:

[magellan]

2. USA, France, Spain and Turkey won this tender.

France is the only surprise...Or am I missing some subtle liaison here?

[shadowknows69]

3. an offer they couldn't refuse

and Luka Brazzi put a gun against the oil minister's head and Rumsfeld assured him that either his signature or his brains were going to be on the Exxon contract

[dArKeR]

4. Grandma told me money can't buy a ticket to Heaven. I think I'm going

to change to the Republican party because I heard they are selling tickets.

[Roland99]

5. Wonder what kind of discount Exxon is getting that WON'T be passed on?