Iraq: Shahristani, KNOC, SK Energy and oil contractsnote

Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC) and SK Energy failed to pass the pre-qualification process for oil exploration rights in southern Iraq, despite an agreement signed early this year between Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and South Korea on such rights. The following 303-word report focuses on the issue and tells how Oil Minister Hussein Al-Shahristani could block the process. Note that KNOC and SK Energy are involved in a production-sharing contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for Bazian oil fields.