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Erbil,
Kurdistan 29 Nov. (AKI) - A Norwegian oil company
has begun oil prospecting in Iraqi Kurdistan in
what's believed to be the first drilling by a
foreign group in the area since the fall of Saddam
Hussein in 2003. The firm, DNO, said drilling in the
well near the city of Koysanjak, some 70 kilometres
from the regional capital Erbil, is expected to
reach a depth of 3,000 metres within sixty days and
that there were other reserves to be explored in the
area.
The company said this was the first oil exploration
undertaken following a production sharing agreement
signed with the Kurdish authorities in June 2004.
At the opening ceremony, the Kurdish prime minister
Neghervan Barzani, who said that "this wealth will
be dedicated to the service of the people of
Kurdistan who have suffered many years from being
excluded from the resources of the country, which
were used by Iraqi governments to oppress and
persecute them".
For its part the director of the Norwegian company
declared that "this first project is an important
step forward for the region."
Currently there are more than 180 wells and
refineries in the region which over the past five
years have provided for the local energy needs of
the population, even if they fall below accepted
international standards.
The Iraqi government has also decided to build a new
refinery in the region that meets world standards to
guarantee Iraqi Kurdistan a flow of energy which
from time to time is lacking.
www.adnki.com
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