Why is the War in Iraq Continuing?
“Greed is the perpetrator to create wars, not make men free.”
Iraq Plans New Refineries Mariam Karouny, Reuters
BAGHDAD, 16 November 2005 — Iraq plans to boost its fuel production with new oil refineries to counter crippling gasoline shortages and a thriving black market, Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr Al-Uloum said yesterday. A new refinery at Nassireyah in the south is planned to process 300,000 barrels per day and a plant at Hindeyah, south of Baghdad, will run 140,000 bpd, Uloum said. At least 10 international oil firms are in the race to build the $1 billion Hindeyah project, and the winners will be picked by the end of the year, he said. The refineries will take several years to build. “I have good news, (next month) we will lay the founding stone for the biggest refinery in the Central Euphrates,” Uloum said. Iraq has the world’s third largest known reserves of oil but decades of war, sanctions, under-investment and now widespread violence and sabotage have left it critically short of fuel. It has to import nearly half of its gasoline.
Oil officials say Iraq’s eight refineries are now operating at only 50 percent-75 percent of capacity, a rate of around 300,000 bpd, forcing the country to import most of its refined products. The three largest refineries are Baiji, Basra and Daura plants.
Further Reading:
New oil refinery seen for Karbala, talks with 3 US oil firms
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Pentagon Telegram Discussed Iraq to Israel Oil Pipeline
June 16, 2005
In a telegram sent by a senior Pentagon official to a top Israeli Foreign Ministry official, the United States asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa.
The Prime Minister's Office views the pipeline to Haifa as a "bonus" the U.S. could give to Israel in return for its unequivocal support for the American-led campaign in Iraq and had asked the Americans for the official telegram.
The new pipeline would take oil from the Kirkuk area, where some 40 percent of Iraqi oil is produced, and transport it via Mosul, and then across Jordan to Israel. The U.S. telegram included a request for a cost estimate for repairing the Mosul-Haifa pipeline that was in use prior to 1948. During the 1948 war the Iraqis stopped the flow of oil to Haifa and the pipeline fell into disrepair over the years.
The Israeli National Infrastructure Ministry has recently ubdertaken research which indicates that construction of the 42-inch diameter pipeline between Kirkuk and Haifa would cost about $400,000 per kilometer. The old Mosul-Haifa pipeline was only 8 inches in diameter.
Yosef Paritzky, the Israeli National Infrastructure Minister said the port of Haifa is an attractive destination for Iraqi oil and that he plans to discuss this matter with the U.S. secretary of energy during his planned visit to Washington next month.
He further added that the implementation of the plan depended on Jordan's consent and that Jordan would receive a transit fee for allowing the oil to piped through its territory. The minister noted, however, that "due to pan-Arab concerns, it will be hard for the Jordanians to agree to the flow of Iraqi oil via Jordan and Israel."
Sources confirmed that the Americans are looking into the possibility of laying a new pipeline via Jordan and Israel.
Currently, Iraqi oil is being transported via Turkey to a small Mediterranean port near the Syrian border. The transit fee collected by Turkey is an important source of revenue for the country but the oil line has been damaged by sabotage twice in recent weeks and is presently out of service.
In response to rumours about the possible Kirkuk-Mosul-Haifa pipeline, Turkey has warned Israel that it would regard this development as a serious blow to Turkish-Israeli relations.
But according to sources in Israel the American hints about the alternative pipeline are part of an attempt to apply pressure on Turkey.
Iraq is one of the world's largest oil producers, with the potential of reaching about 2.5 million barrels a day. Oil exports were halted after the Gulf War in 1991 and then were allowed again on a limited basis (1.5 million barrels per day) to finance the import of food and medicines. Iraq is currently exporting several hundred thousand barrels of oil per day.
Video Introduction
June 16, 2005
In a telegram sent by a senior Pentagon official to a top Israeli Foreign Ministry official, the United States asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa.
The Prime Minister's Office views the pipeline to Haifa as a "bonus" the U.S. could give to Israel in return for its unequivocal support for the American-led campaign in Iraq and had asked the Americans for the official telegram.
The new pipeline would take oil from the Kirkuk area, where some 40 percent of Iraqi oil is produced, and transport it via Mosul, and then across Jordan to Israel. The U.S. telegram included a request for a cost estimate for repairing the Mosul-Haifa pipeline that was in use prior to 1948. During the 1948 war the Iraqis stopped the flow of oil to Haifa and the pipeline fell into disrepair over the years.
The Israeli National Infrastructure Ministry has recently ubdertaken research which indicates that construction of the 42-inch diameter pipeline between Kirkuk and Haifa would cost about $400,000 per kilometer. The old Mosul-Haifa pipeline was only 8 inches in diameter.
Yosef Paritzky, the Israeli National Infrastructure Minister said the port of Haifa is an attractive destination for Iraqi oil and that he plans to discuss this matter with the U.S. secretary of energy during his planned visit to Washington next month.
He further added that the implementation of the plan depended on Jordan's consent and that Jordan would receive a transit fee for allowing the oil to piped through its territory. The minister noted, however, that "due to pan-Arab concerns, it will be hard for the Jordanians to agree to the flow of Iraqi oil via Jordan and Israel."
Sources confirmed that the Americans are looking into the possibility of laying a new pipeline via Jordan and Israel.
Currently, Iraqi oil is being transported via Turkey to a small Mediterranean port near the Syrian border. The transit fee collected by Turkey is an important source of revenue for the country but the oil line has been damaged by sabotage twice in recent weeks and is presently out of service.
In response to rumours about the possible Kirkuk-Mosul-Haifa pipeline, Turkey has warned Israel that it would regard this development as a serious blow to Turkish-Israeli relations.
But according to sources in Israel the American hints about the alternative pipeline are part of an attempt to apply pressure on Turkey.
Iraq is one of the world's largest oil producers, with the potential of reaching about 2.5 million barrels a day. Oil exports were halted after the Gulf War in 1991 and then were allowed again on a limited basis (1.5 million barrels per day) to finance the import of food and medicines. Iraq is currently exporting several hundred thousand barrels of oil per day.
Video Introduction
Bush's real agenda revealed in proposed law to privatize oil for US corporations.
Labels: End of Time, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, United States
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 4:20 PM
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