Shafaq News- Kirkuk
British energy company BP has resumed operations in Iraq'sKirkuk province, with local officials and company representatives discussingthe implementation of a contract to develop the province's oil fields,officials told Shafaq News on Monday.
Anjel Zaya Sheba, secretary-general of the Kirkuk ProvincialCouncil, said Kirkuk Governor Mohammed Samaan Agha met BP Iraq General ManagerZaid Al-Yasiri to review the implementation of the company's contract withIraq's Oil Ministry to develop the province's oil fields.
“BP returned to Kirkuk after suspending operations in recentmonths because of regional security developments,’ he noted, describing theresumption of its activities as an important step toward advancing developmentprojects and increasing oil production.
The meeting also reviewed plans to develop oil fieldsoperated by the North Oil Company and North Gas Company, as well as BP's futureprojects in the province.
According to Sheba, the discussions also covered efforts tostrengthen Iraq's oil sector, train national personnel, create employmentopportunities for Kirkuk residents, and support community development projects.
A source at the North Oil Company also said BP hadredeployed its technical and engineering teams and restarted developmentprograms after previously withdrawing most of its British and other foreignemployees because of heightened regional tensions.
The return of the foreign teams is expected to acceleratetechnical work and keep development programs on schedule, supporting the OilMinistry's efforts to improve production efficiency and expand investment in Kirkuk'soil fields, the source added.
In March, BP withdrew a number of its foreign employees fromoil field development projects in Kirkuk as a precautionary measure in responseto regional security tensions and the impact of the ongoing conflict in the MiddleEast. At the time, sources affirmed that “the move did not affect the company'scontract with Iraq's Oil Ministry and was intended as a temporary measurepending a security assessment.”
Kirkuk is home to some of Iraq's oldest and largest oilfields, including the Kirkuk, Bai Hassan, Jambur, and Khabbaz fields. Thefields have faced technical and security challenges in recent years, promptingthe Oil Ministry to partner with international energy companies to rehabilitateinfrastructure and increase production capacity.