Iraq signed several large contracts with international oil companies to increase oil production

A government spokesman said on Saturday to Reuters that deals to develop oil fields Zubair and West Qurna, Iraq may not both be on the agenda of the next meeting of the Council of Ministers as there is still a legal and technical issues should be settled. The consent of the Council of Ministers held in which the evolution of a group led by ENI for Zubair field and another in accordance with a consortium led by Exxon Mobil in the first phase project of the West Qurna unexpectedly two weeks ago but was delayed twice. But government spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh said on Saturday that the deals may not ready for approval at the next ministerial meeting scheduled on Tuesday. Dabbagh said that there are technical measures should be taken before the approval of the contracts. Asked whether the contracts will be approved on Tuesday, he said, "We hope this, but I expect that to last much longer." The group of Exxon Mobil in the West Qurna contract Royal Dutch Shell Company. ENI joined Occidental Petroleum and Kogas, South Korea. The two groups entered into agreements in principle with the Iraqi Oil Ministry. Such delays in the approval of deals to oil fields - or any other official would - not uncommon in Iraq. Another consortium led by Nippon Oil Japanese is closer to win a contract for oil field Nasiriyah since April. Iraq signed several large contracts with international oil companies in an attempt to increase oil production almost tripled from about 2.5 million bpd now within six or seven years. In the case of the success of this Iraq would become the third-largest oil producer in the world. Because of decades of war, sanctions and underinvestment in the infrastructure of oil occupies the country currently ranked eleventh.m.e