Iraq defends deal with Shell on processing gas from Basrah field

摘要

Amman, Jordan-Iraq has defended a natural gas contract signed with Shell for the capture and processing of associated gas produced from the Basrah oil fields, saying that the heads of agreement signed with the Anglo-Dutch major is a short-term contract designed to utilize gas that is otherwise flared. The semi-official Iraqi newspaper Al Sabaah published a statement issued by the oil ministry's information center defending the agreement signed with Shell on September 22 after the parliamentary oil and gas committee said November 25 that the deal gave Shell a monopoly over Iraq's southern gas production and was awarded without a tendering process and no competition.