Iraq readies second round of oil field bids

The Iraqi Oil Ministry held discussions to try to agree on a list of oil fields to be tendered in a second licensing round. The official list is projected to be announced formally later this month, International Oil Daily reported.

There are 16 fields on a preliminary list, including fields in the southern and central regions and a few in the north. There are reportedly four major fields and a new discovery in the Basra region: the Majnoon and Nahr bin Umar fields, West Qurna-phase 2 and Subba, and the Sindibad discovery on the Iranian border.

Then there are the Halfaya, Nur, Nasiriyah and Gharraf field in Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces and possible the East Baghdad and West Kifl fields and the Qayiarah fields and four others in Diyala province.

Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said the second and even a third round of bidding are expected to begin before the end of the year. He told IOD the ministry's goal is to announce the second licensing round on Oct. 13 in London.