Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has announced finalised oil exports for July of 90,467,794 barrels, giving an average for the month of 2,918 million barrels per day (bpd), slightly up from the 2.892 million bpd exported in June.
The exports from the oilfields in central and southern Iraq amounted to approximately 87,455,359 barrels, while exports from Kirkuk amounted to 3,012,435 barrels.
Revenues for the month were $6.476 billion at an average price of $71.578 per barrel.
Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Motegi Toshimitsu, visited Iraq on Saturday, meeting with Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, and President Barham Salih.
Minister Motegi announced that Japan intends to extend the “Basrah Refinery Upgrading Project (Phase 3)” Yen loan project (up to the amount of 32.7 billion yen) [$300 million], and expressed his hopes that this project would contribute to providing the stable supply of energy and to creating jobs in Iraq. In response, Minister Hussein expressed his gratitude.
Minister Motegi added that he appreciates the publication of the “White Paper for Economic and Financial Reforms“, and stated that Japan looks to support Iraq’s reform efforts together with the international community through the “Iraq Economic Contact Group.”
Both sides also exchanged views on measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and means to improve the business and investment environment in Iraq.
Shares in Genel Energy fell more than 15 percent in mid-morning trading after the company announced that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) intends to terminate its contracts at Bina Bawi and Miran.
In a statement, the company said:
“Genel has received notice from the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Government (‘KRG’) of its intention to terminate the Bina Bawi and Miran PSCs.
“Genel believes that the KRG has no grounds for issuing its notices of intention to terminate.
“Genel wishes to continue operations under the PSCs and to work with the KRG on the development of these fields. However, Genel will take steps to protect its rights under the PSCs and, if necessary, seek compensation, including for its material investment. As a first step, Genel intends to issue notice of dispute to the KRG under each PSC, contesting the right of the KRG to issue any such termination notice and, in doing so, trigger an obligation to hold good faith negotiations to resolve this matter promptly and without the need for either party to refer the matter to international arbitration.
“As stated at our half-year results, Genel has found it difficult to engage the KRG under the PSCs to obtain the necessary approvals to proceed with the development of the assets, and every effort has been made to obtain these so that the projects can be progressed. Genel had earlier reached a commercial understanding with the KRG in September 2019 to develop the fields using a staged and integrated oil and gas development concept. In the course of those negotiations leading to updated terms of the parties’ agreements, the KRG confirmed to Genel that it would not serve notice of intention to terminate the PSCs while these negotiations remain ongoing. Genel has subsequently prepared and submitted proposals to the KRG, which honoured the terms agreed in September 2019, each of which would have resulted in the progression of development of the assets.“
Young female entrepreneur strives to transform the medical sector in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Twenty-five-year-old Nasreen Hassan has been working for years on a business idea that will help hospitals and medical centres in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq improve and maintain their medical equipment.
Having witnessed years of conflict, Nasreen says that she wants to do her part in saving and improving the lives of women, men and children, especially in light of the current worldwide pandemic. “The number of weapons and rockets outnumber medical equipment,” said Nasreen. “And I want to correct this.”
“Just think about what will make the world better, not only for you, but for everyone around you,” said Nasreen. “For me, I want to produce, install and provide maintenance for medical machinery locally. This will help create jobs for young people and open new opportunities for many.”
“But most importantly, it will save and improve lives.”
Unable to pursue a degree in medical engineering, the IT graduate recently joined the ILO’s Start Your Business (SYB) training programme in Iraq, aimed at giving her the knowledge and tools needed to set up her business.
Start Your Business is part of the wider Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training package designed to respond to the progressive stages of business development. The training in Iraq aims to support young refugees, internally displaced people, and vulnerable host community members who are interested in setting up their own small businesses or improving existing ones.
“The most beneficial part of the training was the business plan, even though I already had some knowledge on the subject, but not in such detail or depth,” said Nasreen. “From the first day of the training with the ILO, I have been working on my business plan, one step at a time. I have been revising it and adding new ideas on the way, because the more we moved forward with the training, the more our ideas expanded, reflecting the reality more and more.”
The training is part of efforts being implemented by the ILO under the “Partnership for improving prospects for forcibly displaced persons and host communities,” also known as PROSPECTS , a multi-agency programme supported by the Government of the Netherlands.
For the ILO one of the key areas of focus of PROSPECTS in Iraq is to support youth to transition from learning and skills development to decent work, through a range of wage employment and self-employment interventions, in collaboration with other PROSPECTS partners, including UNICEF.
This includes training trainers from different organizations on ILO’s training package, including banks and microfinance institutions, trainers from UNICEF-supported youth centres, and local NGOs supporting Small and Medium Enterprises. It also involves referring youth (including Nasreen who recently received life skills training through ACTED at a UNICEF-supported youth centre) to the ILO for further support.
The programme will also link some of the trained youth with access to affordable financial services, to help them start up their businesses and establish a decent livelihood. This is part of an initiative implemented in partnership with the Central Bank of Iraq that was launched in March 2021.
For Nasreen, there are many hurdles to overcome and training opportunities to pursue. Yet despite the long journey ahead, she is determined to see her business plan come to life.
“I need financial support and I need more training, which will help me reach a stage where I have the technical know-how on establishing my business, even if it takes twenty years,” said Nasreen. “I would like to say to other young people in my position that they should also pursue their goals; whether in terms of studying or employment. Don’t let anything get in your way.”
PROSPECTS is a strategic four-year global partnership that supports host communities and displaced populations in eight countries across East and North Africa and the Arab States and which also includes the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank (WB) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The United States Donates More Than 500,000 COVID-19 Vaccines to Iraq
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller joined Iraqi Acting Minister of Health Hani al-Oqabi and other partners to receive the delivery of more than 500,000 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to the Iraqi Ministry of Health as part of the ongoing partnership of the United States with the people of Iraq.
The vaccines were delivered via COVAX in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The United States provided these 503,100 vaccine doses free of charge to Iraq in reflection of our commitment to our shared fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This commitment was one of several made during the most recent session of the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, held in Washington, D.C., July 23-26.
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided more than $60 million to Iraq to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The United States is proud to partner with the Iraqi people to help save lives and defeat COVID-19. Together, we will continue to build a world that is safer and more secure against the threat of infectious disease,” said Ambassador Tueller.
This delivery of vaccines helps fulfill the White House global vaccine sharing allocation plan, announced on June 3, 2021, that prioritized an allotment for Iraq.
As President Biden promised, the United States is sharing vaccines with Iraq and many other countries to save lives and lead the world in ending the pandemic.
These safe and effective vaccines are key to protecting Iraqi lives and boosting Iraqi economic recovery.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) received EUR 1.3 million euros from the European Union (EU) towards supporting emergency reproductive health services in hard-to-reach and secondary displacement areas in Iraq.
Women and girls of reproductive age, including women with disabilities, in Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh and Salahuddin governorates will benefit from the reproductive health services provided by UNFPA, such as gynaecological consultations, Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC), family planning, maternal health and clinical management of rape.
“The need for health services in the country have increased due to the ongoing movement of population and the pandemic, especially for woman and girls. This contribution is crucial. It provides life-saving reproductive health services to conflict-affected women in more than one governorate in Iraq,” said Christophe Reltien, the EU Humanitarian Aid Head of Office in Iraq.
UNFPA Representative, Dr Rita Columbia, expressed her appreciation for the recent contribution: “We are extremely grateful for this renewed contribution from the EU. Women and girls in Iraq continue to face many challenges especially in terms of access to reproductive health services. The new funding will allow us to reach the most vulnerable communities in the rural areas and displaced communities, despite the exacerbated humanitarian crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The EU is a long-standing partner of UNFPA in Iraq and a strong advocate for the reproductive health and rights of women and girls. Since 2015, the EU has contributed EUR 19.7 million in support of UNFPA’s humanitarian interventions in camps and host communities and secondary displacement areas in Iraq.
The report offers a description of the structure of the health sector in Iraq.
The categories and stakeholders that comprised the sector. Mainly the public and the private sector, alongside, international agencies that work in Iraq.
These agencies include the likes of the World Health Organization, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, UNICEF, the Iraq Health Access Organization, and Médecins Sans Frontières.
Many of which have been in Iraq for decades, offering assistance and partnerships with the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Scottish-based Wood, the global consulting and engineering company, has announced that it has been awarded a five-year contract to deliver specialist engineering solutions at a major oilfield in Iraq.
The company did not specify which oilfield, or the value of the contract. It has previously won business at the West Qurna 1 field.
In a statement, Wood said it will improve day-to-day operations of the oilfield’s producing assets and supporting facilities, while continuing to invest in local talent development programmes and exploring opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The contract will be delivered by Wood’s in-country teams in Basra, supported by the company’s engineering office in Dubai.
