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Kurdistan Region-Iraq News in brief
21.11.2006
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November 21,
2006 - Sulaimaniyah,
Erbil, Duhok, Kirkuk, Kurdistan Region (Iraq)
KRG welcomes appraisal test results for Taq-Taq
oilfield
KRG.org
Erbil, Kurdistan-Iraq The Kurdistan Regional
Government welcomes the recent announcement of the
appraisal well test
results from the Taq-Taq oilfield by Genel-Addax,
the oil exploration joint venture.
On November 20, Genel Enerji and Addax Petroleum,
holders of the Production Sharing Contract for the
Taq-Taq field in the Kurdistan Region, announced
appraisal test results for the recently drilled and
completed TT-04 well, the first development well on
the Taq-Taq field.
Through a selective completion programme, three
reservoir intervals were tested separately and
flowed at a maximum aggregate rate of 29,790 barrels
per day (on a 64/64” choke size) of light, 47
degrees API oil.
Dr. Ashti Hawrami, KRG Minister for Natural
Resources, said, “This is a great achievement and we
look forward to establishing our initial export of
oil from the Taq-Taq field during 2007.
Additionally, we will be utilising some of the oil
resources from the Taq-Taq field to satisfy the
local requirement for refined products and power
generation. We will continue our exploration
campaign to achieve our oil export target of one
million barrels per day of new oil from the
Kurdistan Region over the next few years. This will
make a significant contribution to the oil revenues
to be shared by all peoples of Iraq.”
Dr. Hawrami added: “Following the imminent entry
into force of the Kurdistan Region Petroleum Act, we
are expecting further investment activities in the
near future to achieve our target."
To see the full text of the announcement of Genel
Enerji and Addax Petroleum, click
http://www.genel-enerji.com , For further comment,
contact the KRG Spokesman: spokesman(at)krg.org
Kurdistan regional Government allocates $22
million for Halabja projects
Nechirvan Barzani, received the Mayor of Halabja,
Chairman of Municipality, and both KDP and PUK
officials.
During the meeting they discussed the current dire
situation in Halabja which was rocked by protests
earlier this year.
Nechirvan Barzani welcomed the delegation and
reiterated that KRG would do its best to serve
Halabja. He stressed that projects promised by
President Massud Barzani during his visit to Sulaimaniyah
which included $14 million for tarmac on the local
roads, would be implemented.
In addition the Prime minister promised the
construction of Culture Centre, the rebuilding of
three schools destroyed in bombing as well as the
renovation of an another 12 schools, reconstruction
of the local Health Center and to expand the
hospital.
After the meeting, Nechirvan Barzani stated that the
government would provide all kind of assistance and
services as needed for Halabja like other towns of
Kurdistan," but that "Halabja would be a priority."
Group splits from Turkmen Front
Legal Leadership criticized the Turkmen Front in a
statement and accused them of fanning tensions
between Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen.
A new organization named Legal Leadership, which
separated from the Turkumani Front, has formed with
the stated intentions of cooperating with the
Kurdistan Regional Government, local media reported.
Legal Leadership criticized the Turkmen Front in a
statement and accused them of fanning tensions
between Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen.
Members of the new group have decided to ignore the
Turkmen Front policy and instead make every attempt
to strengthen relations between Kurds, Arabs, and
Turkmen, for the sake of achieving peace and
combating
terrorism.
Rebwar Talabani, acting chief of Kirkuk Council,
threatened to legally prosecute Turkmen members who
do not attend regular council meetings.
"For the last two weeks, Turkmen representatives
have not attended the meetings," said Talabani. He
made it clear, however, that there are no conflicts
between his members and Turkmen envoys.
People in Penjuin downing trees for winter warmth
Winter is approaching and fuel is very expensive.
People know that they cannot afford extremely high
fuel prices.
A source from the town of Penjuin, located in far
eastern Kurdistan, has told local media that people
in the town and surrounding villages have begun
cutting trees in mountain forests and selling them,
local media reported last week.
"Winter is approaching and fuel is very expensive.
People know that they cannot afford extremely high
fuel prices. That is why they have no choice other
than to cut trees," said the source.
"If we don't burn wood to warm ourselves up, we will
die frozen this winter. We love our country and want
it to be beautiful, but not at the cost of our
lives," said a citizen.
New road opens for Bakirman village
Jahwar Alil Aziz, the Mayor of Akre, opened the road
of Bakirman village, which was executed by the
Ministry of Reconstruction/Dohuk Directorate of
Reconstruction/Akre Reconstruction office. The
length of the road is 2 kilometers and the cost of
the projects was 152 million dinars.
Turkey bans Kurdish books for children
The Turkish Interior Ministry formed a committee to
investigate the publishing of Kurdish-Turkish books
for children, said Takshi Sayar, Soramadi Deputy
Mayor.
Two investigators have been appointed to
investigate, and even though the books were
published in accordance with Turkish law, it is
obvious that Turkey wishes to place hurdles for
publishing books in the Kurdish language.
Abdullah Mirtash, chairman of Soramadi Municipality,
told Kurdistan Raport in an exclusive interview,
"These books are for the awareness of children and
do not point to a political field. We refused to use
them in primary schools as the schools have their
own curriculums. We wanted to give them to children
via Teachers Federation and parents, and not to use
them in their school programs.
The books are half Kurdish and half Turkish; the
European Union supports the Kurdish language so as
every child can learn his or her own language.
In addition, even though Turkey lifted a ban on
speaking the Kurdish language, some Mayors are still
being interrogated for speaking their own language.
New power stations may alleviate Kurdistan's
electrical crisis
The Minister of Electricity in the KRG reported that
four power stations are to be constructed in the
Kurdistan Region by the year 2008.
Using oil and natural gas, they will generate over
1,500 megawatts of electricity. The company Mass
Jordan is responsible for undertaking the project.
The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity has also signed a
contract with Mass Jordan to build a 500-megawatt
station in Erbil, which should be finished in one
year.
A contract was inked with the British ATI to build
an electricity station in Khabat in Erbil that will
produce 200 megawatts; it will produce by using oil.
It should be ready for operation by mid 2007.
"We have signed a contract with the Canadian company
Jacko to construct a 260-megawatt station in the
town of Taktak, east of Erbil. It uses oil and will
be finished by the end of next year," Hoshyar
Siwaili, the Minister of Electricity said.
Regarding the cost of such agreements, the Minister
stated, "When the companies have finished their
work, we will purchase electricity from them. For
Khabat station, buying one kilowatt costs us 2.5
cents; in Chamchamal it is 2.9 cents; and for the
Erbil station it is 3.3 cents for each kilowatt of
electricity."
Finally, the Minister said that with the completion
of such power stations, the electricity crisis could
conceivably
be resolved by 2008.
Iraq resumes pumping Kirkuk crude to Turkish port
of Ceyhan
Kirkuk, – Iraq resumed pumping Kirkuk
crude oil to the Turkish Mediterranean port of
Ceyhan after a 30-day halt, a source in the North
Oil Company said on Tuesday.
“Oil pumping from Kirkuk northern oil fields to
Ceyhan Turkish port was resumed late last night at
rate between 250,000 and 350,000 bpd (barrel per
day),” the source, who declined to be named, said.
Iraqi crude exports from Kirkuk oil fields to Ceyhan
port came to a halt on 21 November.
The northern oil exports have been on and off since
the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 due to
continuous sabotage attacks on oil installations and
pipelines that have cost Iraq billions of dollars in
lost revenues
Kurdishglobe net | VOI | Agencies
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