Dana Gas opens Kurdistan office
Posted: 26 November 2007
 Send this article
 Print this article
Sharjah-based Dana has opened its new Suleymaniya office in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Despite the central Iraqi government’s objection that all oil drilling and exploration contracts issued by Iraq ’s Kurdish regional administration are invalid until a national oil law is approved, deals are still made by the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
In April of this year, agreements were signed with Dana Gas by Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, to produce, process and transport natural gas from the Khor Mor gas field and to appraise the Chemchemal gas field for development.
The agreements were made to provide natural gas supplies to fuel domestic electric power generation plants currently under construction near Erbil and Suleymania, the statement from the company said.
The Khor Mor project is now 60% complete with first gas production on schedule for early 2008. Seismic activities on both the Khor Mor and Chemchemal fields have also started, with development drilling of the Khor Mor early next year, followed by the drilling of the Chemchemal appraisal wells.
As part of the ‘Strategic Alliance Protocol’ also signed with the Kurdistan Regional Government, Dana Gas is carrying out a gas optimisation study and master plan for the Kurdistan region.
Dana Gas has launched the ' Kurdistan Gas City ' project as a major new gas utilisation industrial complex designed to promote private sector investment in a variety of gas-related industries for optimal use of the natural gas, which will further benefit local citizens through training, job creation, and the promotion of economic growth.
About e ight contracts have already been signed by the Kurdish state and more are expected soon to operate in the area of oil-laden northern Iraq which they control, according to media reports.
In August, the Kurds enacted their own oil law to regulate the oil sector in the region, further angering the central government in Baghdad who is expecting a central oil law to be established. |
