Iraq to develop oil and gas in the Western Desert in collaboration with Halliburton Co., Saudi Aramco

Iraq to develop oil and gas in the Western Desert in collaboration with Halliburton Co., Saudi Aramco

RIYADH: Iraq plans to collaborate with American multinational oil field service company Halliburton Co. and Saudi oil giant Aramco to develop oil and gas in the Western Desert. Iraq is in talks with Halliburton Co. regarding a technical partnership to grow and operate oil and gas reserves in the Anbar province. The Iraqi ministry is finalizing the commercial terms of work, according to Bloomberg. The contract is set to be signed once the government takes office. Development costs are to be covered by the Iraqi government and Saudi Aramco if it decides to invest, Bloomberg reported, citing Iraq’s Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar. The country is also discussing with Aramco the possibility of funding and developing a natural gas field, also known as Akkas. Gas extracted from the field will help Iraq be less dependent on oil for electricity, Jabbar added. This comes as the Gulf nation aims to generate at least 80 percent of its gas domestically and achieve gas self-sufficiency by 2025.