Major oil discovery made near Zaxo 11.6.2006
By Khaled Salih | |
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Zaxo, Kurdistan-Iraq, June
11, 2006, -- A major discovery of oil has been made near Zaxo in the
northwest corner of Iraqi Kurdistan, said Dr Ashti A Hawrami, the
Minister of Natural Resources for the Kurdistan Regional Government.
“I am pleased to announce that commercially recoverable quantities
of oil have been discovered following the drilling of an exploratory
well in the Tawke structure.
The well has been tested at 5,000 barrels a day of good quality oil
from one of the upper zones of interest,” said Dr Hawrami.
The discovery was made by the Norwegian oil company DNO, which
started drilling in exploration territory in the Dohuk Governorate
in November 2005 after signing a production sharing contract with
the Kurdistan Regional Government a year earlier. |
Kurdistan oil fields and refineries
Photo: AFP |
“This is not just good news for Kurdistan Region but for all of
Iraq”, said Dr Hawrami. “The Tawke discovery is from the first new
well drilled in Iraq since Saddam’s overthrow. We anticipate
production by early 2007, which will allow for the export of oil
along a completely secure route from the one fully secure part of
Iraq.
The Tawke discovery is the first product of the partnership between
the government and international oil companies in the new Iraq. It
will boost Iraq’s total production and exports and as a result
everyone wins.”
Dr Hawrami added, “Today’s announcement is the direct result of
Iraq’s new political and constitutional arrangements which enable
the people and government of Kurdistan Region to explore for, and
develop, the oil in our territory.
For decades, the people of Kurdistan in Iraq have seen our oil used
to finance repression and the physical destruction of our land. Now,
we control our own resources which we will exploit for the benefit
of the people of Kurdistan Region and all Iraqis.”
The Iraqi Constitution, which was ratified on 15 October 2005, gives
regional governments the right to explore for, and develop,
petroleum from new fields (those not already in commercial
production) on their territory. It also explicitly recognises as
valid contracts made by the Kurdistan Regional Government since
1992, which includes production sharing contracts such as the one
signed with DNO on 25 June 2004.
“On a personal note,” Dr Hawrami said, “this news is most auspicious
possible beginning to my tenure as the Natural Resources Minister
and I expect to have more such announcements in the months to come.”
Dr Hawrami, a former oil industry executive in the UK, was appointed
Minister for Natural Resources in May.
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