BP and Shell to resume shipments from Iraq

[Resistance]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=427054

BP and Shell were among the first foreign companies to benefit from resumption of Iraqi oil exports when the country signed its first long-term supply contracts yesterday since the war was declared over.

The British oil giants are among 10 international companies that will be taking Iraqi crude, produced from the southern fields around Basra.

Iraq has held two sales of oil since Saddam Hussein was deposed but these were "spot" deals that sold an immediately available quantity of oil. The contracts won by BP and Shell, announced by Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organisation (Somo) yesterday, are the first to offer long-term supply arrangements.

BP and Shell will each send one very large tanker every month to Iraq to pick up their 2 million barrels. Among the other companies that are thought to have signed deals with Iraq are ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips of the US and the Chinese organisation Sinochem. Iraqi officials are still negotiating with other companies.

[FlashHarry]

1. I thought Shell was Dutch, not British.

As in "Royal Dutch Shell."

[magatte]

2. yeah it is british...

I mean "Shell" is not exactly the most dutch of words is it?
The current company was created by teh merger of "Royal Dutch" from teh netherlands and "Shell" from teh UK, hence the official name. But I think the company is headquartered in the UK.

[Heddi]

3. who's signing these documents?

It says that the country signed its first long-term supply contracts yesterday---who signed? Is there even a Government? Is that American Guy now considered 'leader' of Iraq? Does he have official right to enter into contracts and such?

I mean, people are dying from cholera. There is no water, no food, no electricity. They are seriously lacking in hospital staff and equipment. There is no infastructure.

Why is it that when things like the above (infastructure, hospitals, etc) are discussed by the Adminstration, we're told we have to wait, things are still being rebuilt, it's gonna take a long time----yet they already have some kind of official chief of state that's able to sign documents allowing the export of -- ta-da-- oil.

I find that very perplexing. Too bad 98% of americans will never hear about this, and of those that do, 98% of them won't even care.

[Maple]

4. The only oil available

is in storage. None is flowing yet.

Pipelines keep mysteriously blowing up.