Iraq’s oil industry under attack

[Sara Johnson]

Iraq’s oil industry under attack

28/06/2011 15:00

By Joel Wing*

Iraq’s insurgents are targeting the country’s oil industry. In June 2011, there were five attacks, four upon infrastructure, and one upon a visiting delegation from Iran’s Oil Ministry. These were the first attacks upon Iraq’s petroleum business since March, which points to a new campaign to undermine the nation’s most important resource.

In June there were a series of headline grabbing assaults upon Iraq’s Oil Ministry. On June 27, a rocket was fired at the Shuaiba oil refinery in Basra, and the police found two others before they went off. Three days before, the Baiji refinery in Salahaddin was bombed. First reports simply said an explosion occurred at the facility, which caused a fire that took four hours to put out. It was then revealed that the cause was a bomb that went off near a gas pipeline around 2:30 am, but which did not cause any major damage. Two days before that, men shot at a caravan carrying a delegation from the Iranian Oil Ministry through eastern Baghdad with silencers. Two guards were wounded. The cars belonged to the Oil Ministry, and it was unclear whether the assault was aimed at the Iranians or just an attack upon government vehicles. On June 15, four bombs were found at the Daura refinery in Baghdad. Officials said that it was an inside job, and several guards were arrested as suspects. Finally on June 5, the Zubair oil field in Basra was attacked. Reports differ as to whether it was hit by bombs or rockets, but its oil storage facility was hit, setting its petroleum reserves on fire. The day before, Deputy Premier Hussein Shahristani who is in charge of the country’s energy policy had visited Zubair. All these attacks point towards a new insurgent campaign against Iraq’s resources. The last time any facilities were targeted was back on March 8, when the northern pipeline to Turkey was bombed, closing it down for five days for repairs. The fact that the Zubair field was hit and the Shuaiba refinery was targeted was also something new, as the southern fields, which hold the vast majority of Iraq’s reserves, have not been threatened for years.

Oil is Iraq’s most important resource. It provides nearly 90% of the country’s revenue, and the government is hoping to vastly ramp up production with foreign contracts it signed in 2009. Striking at the industry now, just as that process is beginning to take off not only grabs headlines for the insurgents, which they can use to raise money, but also puts added pressure on the government. The militants are also probably hoping that they can scare some of the international businesses as well. The problem for the insurgents is that they lack the resources to maintain any campaign for more than just a few weeks. Hopefully that means there are only a few more attacks before they have to re-group, re-arm, and move onto their next target.

http://www.aknews.co...knews/8/249041/

[HYDRANT]

WELL I DONT KNOW WHAT SECURITY THEY HAVE IN PLACE---BUT I THOUGHT I REMEMBER ABOUT SOME SECURITY CAMERAS BE INSTALLED AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT MUCH BUT MAYBE THE SECURITY SHOULD BE BEEFED UP A LITTLE MORE---THEY WASTE MONEY ON THE WRONG THINGS--THE GOV I MEAN----WHY NOT PROTECT YOUR BIGGEST RESORCE AT ALL COST----JMOP

[wicked93gs]

Why do you always insist on typing in caps? Are you trying to become a new guru?

[Ironwolf1974]

Well look up there oil production, even during the "War", Occupation, revolution, saving whatever you want to call it.

This is OIL were talking about. its going to flow, no matter what these guys do.

[HYDRANT]

Why do you always insist on typing in caps? Are you trying to become a new guru?

NO MY CAP LOCKS IS BROKE AND IM NOT GETTING A NEW KEY BOARD YET---BUT YOU KNOW WHAT----I WILL GO OUT AND BUY ONE TONIGHT JUST FOR YOU SO YOU DONT COMPLAIN----NOT EVERYBODY HAS MONEY TO BLOW ON THINGS WHEN IT STILL WORKS

[kobuk1]

Oh my gosh, of all the trouble in this investment, you're worried about caps? Go RV!!!!!!