After years of delay and recurring disagreements with operators, Iraq’s Oil Ministry is planning to once again offer the 5.6tcf Akkas and 4.5tcf Mansuriya non-associated gas fields to investors. The fields were first awarded in 2010 after Iraq’s third licensing round (LR3) but development was derailed by the rise of the Islamic State (IS)terrorist group (MEES, 25 October 2010).
Both are located in areas that were either occupied or threatened by IS in 2014 (see map), and firms continue to cite security concerns at the sites. Nevertheless, Oil Minister Hayan Abdulghani says Akkas and Mansuriya remain central to Iraq’s hopes of becoming self-sufficient in gas. (CONTINUED - 927 WORDS)
