BASRA, Iraq, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Iraq's oil minister Thamer
al-Ghadhban appointed a new head for the ministry’s licencing
and contracts office, which oversees oil contracts and
negotiates energy deals with international companies, according
to a ministry document reviewed by Reuters.
Ali Maarij was named the new head of the licensing and
contracts office, according to the document signed by Ghadhban
and dated Jan. 11.
Maarij had previously served as head of Iraq's state-run
Missan Oil Company until 2014 when he became a member of the
Iraqi parliament. In 2018 he was appointed as an adviser at the
oil ministry.
The position has long been occupied by Abul Mahdi al-Ameedi
who reached retirement age late last year, an oil ministry
document showed.
Oil giants including Royal Dutch Shell, BP,
Exxon Mobil, China’s CNPC, and Italy’s Eni
signed technical service contracts to develop some of the giant
oilfields in southern Iraq in 2009-2010.
(Reporting by Aref Mohammed, editing by Louise Heavens)