BAGHDAD // Iraq is inviting bids from contractors to drill seven new oil wells and complete work on four natural gas wells. The Oil Ministry says contractors have until Sept 15 to submit bids to drill in the East Baghdad oil field. Today's statement says bids to complete four gas wells in the Akkas gas field in western Iraq will be accepted until September 30. Reserves in the East Baghdad oil field are estimated to be at least 5 billion barrels. Its prewar production was 50,000 barrels per day, but it has not been operational since 2003.
The Akkas gas field has estimated reserves of more than 2.15 trillion cubic feet. Iraq's Northern Oil Company says it will field questions from bidders at meetings in mid-August at its headquarters in the northern city of Kirkuk. In June, the Iraqi oil minister Hussain al Shahristani announced that Iraq was inviting foreign companies to bid for long-term contracts to develop eight oil fields and two gas fields, including Akkas and those in East Baghdad.
The announcement was seen as clearing the way for major international investment in rebuilding the country's petroleum sector. Other oil fields available for bidding include Rumaila, Zubair and West Qurna fields in the southeastern province of Basra. In the neighbouring Maysan province, on the border with Iran, the Bazargan, Abu Gharab and Fakka fields are up for bids, as well as the northern Kirkuk and Bai Hassan fields.
The two gas fields, Akkas and Mansuriyah, are respectively in western and northeastern Iraq. *AP with files from The National
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Business Insights
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
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The 10 Questions
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
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If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
While you're here
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