Iran, Iraq boost cooperation in energy sector

Managing-Director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) Ali Reza Zeiqami said Monday that Iran and Iraq had reached an agreement to expand cooperation in developing joint fields, the refining section, and the exports of oil and gas products. According to the agreement between Iranian and Iraqi officials, Iran will export $1.7 - 1.8 billion of petroleum and Associated Petroleum Gas (APG) products to Iraq per year, Zeiqami said. He added that petroleum products such as oil, gas, and kerosene would be exported to Iraq by sea via the Mahshahr and Bandar Abbas ports and through three land routes. Zeiqami said Iran had also agreed to cooperate in the construction of a refinery in Iraq and to share its technological knowhow in this field with its neighbor. Based on current studies, Iran and Iraq share 23 joint hydrocarbon fields which are divided into exploration, developmental and production categories. The two Muslim neighboring nations share five major oil fields which include Naftshahr, Dehloran, Paydare Gharb, Azadegan and Yadavaran. Iran shares oil and gas fields with most of its neighbors, including Persian Gulf littoral states such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, as well as it northeastern neighbor Turkmenistan. Meantime, during a three-day visit to Iraq by Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi, the two neighbors reiterated their cooperation in various areas such as refining, increasing exports of oil and gas products as well as development of shared fields. Following his visit to Iraq, Qassemi stressed that good coordination and exchange of opinions were made about "oil product exports, construction of Iran's gas export pipeline to Iraq and training of Iraq's technical personnel". Qassemi traveled to Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Thursday and held meetings with senior Iraqi officials, including his counterpart, in Baghdad on Friday and Saturday.