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German firm strikes deal with Iraqi Kurds to transport Iraqi gas to Europe

A German firm has struck a cooperation deal with the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq for the transport of Iraqi natural gas to Europe.

The German investment firm, RWA, says it will construct a pipeline linking Iraqi gas fields to Nabucco pipeline conceived to cut Europe’s reliance on Russian gas.

An RWA statement, quoting Ashti Horami, Kurdish regional government’s minister of natural resources, said that the Kurdish region could pump up 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe.

RWA, says the statement, will build the pipeline linking northern Iraq with Turkey.

There are no plans to extend the pipeline to Iran which has one of the world’s largest reserves of natural gas.

Iran already transports huge quantities of natural gas to Turkey via a special pipeline.

The proceeds from the gas exports will be funneled to central government coffers, Horami was reported as saying.

Iraqi Kurds have increased oil and gas development activities in their semi-independent enclave comprising the provinces of Dahouk, Sulaimaniya and Arbil.

They say they can now produce more than 100,000 barrels of oil a day and have drawn plans to boost output to 1 million barrels in four years.

Iraq has a twin pipeline linking its largest producing oil fields to Turkish terminals on the Mediterranean.

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index...08-29\kurd.htm
The Ministry of Oil: a gas between the Government of Kurdistan and Germany 's void and illegal

Considered the Oil Ministry, Sunday, that the contract signed by the Kurdistan Regional Government with German RWE to pump gas supplies in the future to the Nabucco pipeline project is invalid and illegal.

The ministry said in a statement issued today that Iraq is exporting crude oil and gas through the Iraqi oil marketing company exclusively and there is no other hand, empowered to sign contracts with international companies or local in this regard.

The statement added no value to any commitments made other than the Ministry of Oil to export gas via the Nabucco pipeline.

He stressed that any contracts or agreements signed outside the legal framework of the officially approved and Marketing Company (SOMO) is considered invalid and illegal.

The statement said the oil ministry had no right to any other contract for the export of crude oil or gas or their derivatives.

The company R . W . German utility RWE AG said Friday it has signed a cooperation agreement with the government of Iraqi Kurdistan to inject future gas supplies to the Nabucco pipeline project.

A statement of the company in Germany by the Minister for Natural Resources in Kurdistan Ashti Hawrami as saying that he can pump up to 20 billion cubic meters per year across the line to supply gas to Turkey and Europe.

The German company is a shareholder in the Nabucco project, worth 7.9 billion euros ( 10.05 billion dollars), which aims to reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas supplies through the transfer of the Caspian Sea directly to Turkey and Europe.

In the sixth of last May, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani and his ministry reached an agreement with the provincial government resources on producing oil fields in the Kurdistan region is secured the revenues of oil exported from the region of the country's treasury.

http://www.ipairaq.com/index.php?nam...onomy&id=29648