Rush for ‘easiest oil in the world’

[IDemo]

This month an Iraqi politician will appear on television to open envelopes and reveal the winners of a long and hard-fought contest. In the balance hangs the wellbeing of 28m people, tens of billions of dollars of contracts and how much you and I pay for everything from yoghurt pots to petrol.

It should make good viewing. For the hopeful contestants, it has been a long wait — since 1972 to be exact. That was when the Iraqi oil industry was nationalised and foreign operators were booted out.

Now the oil giants have been invited back. At the ceremony on June 29 and 30, Hussain al-Shahristani, the oil minister, will reveal which of them will be the first to be let back into the south of the country, where most of its oil and gas resources are found.

Up for grabs are 20-year concessions to operate six huge oilfields and two gas fields. In all, 32 companies are bidding, including BP, Shell, Sinopec of China, Lukoil of Russia and Total of France.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article6493356.ece

[kenny blankenship]

1. And the oceans of blood spilled will all have been worth it.

For some.

[wuvuj]

4. Hey!

Our Hummers are thirsty! Or....I mean...the Chinese Hummers are thirsty....

[JohnWxy]

9. Now, now, doncha know we went there to find WMD, er.. to stop Husseins weapons Program, yeah,

that was it. -- and, and I almost forgot ....to fight all those Al Kaida hiding out in Iraq! Dontcha know, (dick Cheney told me, yeah.)

[BeFree]

2. Iraq used to control oil prices (somewhat)

Whenever OPEC moved to raise the price of oil, Iraq would flood the market, undercutting OPEC.

Maybe that the recent price hikes are 'the last good chance' to raise prices before Iraqi oil hits the market again?

[tom_paine]

3. Misson Accomplished! It will be V-I Day!

The day the multinationals got trillions more to steal as billions of gallons of oil!

Hooray.

:puke:

[jimlup]

5. And very few actually noticed...

I remember the comic among the right wing technicians I used to work near "Let's kick their ass and steal their gas". It has finally been accomplished.

[The Croquist]

6. Don't worry in a few years Iraq will nationalize them again

If I was an oil company I wouldn't bid on this.

[jimlup]

7. yeah the people might rise up and get pissed off...

they have a tendency to do that. Then the empire will just have to have another war to suppress that tendency towards freedom.

[The Croquist]

8. Don't bet on it.

We haven't invaded Venezuela, Iran, Saudi Arabia or Kuwait yet. Well Kuwait maybe but Iraq started it that time.