Investors seen positive on Iraq law, eye Kirkuk row
Mon Nov 9, 2009 10:04am EST
Kirkuk impasse to impact north oilfields allure
* Eurobond prices to be unaffected by election law
* Disputed northern areas to weigh on investor sentiment
By Jack Kimball
BAGHDAD, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Investor sentiment will be bolstered by the Iraqi parliament's passage of a long-delayed election law, but the failure to resolve a row over the disputed city of Kirkuk may cause massive headaches in the long run.
A divided political scene and a stubborn insurgency continue to raise risks for investors in the world's 11th largest oil producer which is trying to kickstart its economy and energy sector after years of neglect.
Iraq's politics are mired in sectarian disputes and a row over power and land between the Arab-led government in Baghdad and Kurds in a semi-autonomous northern region. U.S. officials fear Kurd-Arab tensions may sow the seeds of a new war.
"Kirkuk remains a flashpoint, and until there is an agreement it will be an ongoing concern for investors in all sectors," said Francis Beddington, head of research at the frontier fund Insparo.
Weeks of deadlock in parliament had threatened to delay the election past January. The poll law was passed in a tumultuous session on Sunday, but it avoided tough decisions on Kirkuk, whose fields have about 13 percent of Iraq's proven reserves.
The area is vulnerable to fallout from tensions between the government and Kurds, who view the city and surrounding province as their ancestral home and want them included in their enclave.
Iraq's oil ministry and Kurdish authorities argue over who is allowed to authorise oil deals in Kurdistan, and Kurdish officials also say they must be involved in any deals in Kirkuk.
Kirkuk, with 8.5 billion barrels of reserves and another northern field, Bai Hassan, which holds 2.29 billion barrels, both failed to close deals at a June auction. Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) is in talks with Iraq to develop Kirkuk's oilfields.
Iraq expects to auction off more fields on Dec. 11-12.
"There are very few companies who would actually like to take on that risk in the north right now. The Kirkuk field might perhaps be an exception because it is so huge and Shell and its partners might want a foothold in that project," said Samuel Ciszuk, Middle East energy analyst at IHS Global Insight.
"We'll probably see a lot of interest in the second licensing round in December for the fields which are located in the south or south-central regions ... but for the fields in the north, there will probably be markedly smaller interest."
LONGER HORIZON
Putting off a decision on Kirkuk and leaving it to the next government may keep tensions from boiling over in the lead up to the January vote, seen as a crucial test for Iraq as it tries to pull out of the bloodshed that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Despite a drop in violence over the last two years, attacks remain common and a threat to the nation's future stability.
Global oil prices and local output remain the main driver for economic growth, especially since Iraq's service and financial sectors remain underdeveloped.
Fund managers say the poll law's passage will not affect prices for Iraq's $2.7 billion global bond of restructured Saddam Hussein-era commercial claims, which matures in 2028 and begins to repay principal by 2020.
"The election law is a marginal positive for the bond. We would have seen a stronger negative (if it failed to pass)," said a senior investment manager at a European firm, asking not to be identified.
"Postponing the resolution (on Kirkuk) doesn't have much of an impact on the bond ... For foreign investment, it's much more negative ... from a bond perspective, there's a longer horizon." (Editing by Michael Christie)
Mon Nov 9, 2009 10:04am EST
Kirkuk impasse to impact north oilfields allure
* Eurobond prices to be unaffected by election law
* Disputed northern areas to weigh on investor sentiment
By Jack Kimball
BAGHDAD, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Investor sentiment will be bolstered by the Iraqi parliament's passage of a long-delayed election law, but the failure to resolve a row over the disputed city of Kirkuk may cause massive headaches in the long run.
A divided political scene and a stubborn insurgency continue to raise risks for investors in the world's 11th largest oil producer which is trying to kickstart its economy and energy sector after years of neglect.
Iraq's politics are mired in sectarian disputes and a row over power and land between the Arab-led government in Baghdad and Kurds in a semi-autonomous northern region. U.S. officials fear Kurd-Arab tensions may sow the seeds of a new war.
"Kirkuk remains a flashpoint, and until there is an agreement it will be an ongoing concern for investors in all sectors," said Francis Beddington, head of research at the frontier fund Insparo.
Weeks of deadlock in parliament had threatened to delay the election past January. The poll law was passed in a tumultuous session on Sunday, but it avoided tough decisions on Kirkuk, whose fields have about 13 percent of Iraq's proven reserves.
The area is vulnerable to fallout from tensions between the government and Kurds, who view the city and surrounding province as their ancestral home and want them included in their enclave.
Iraq's oil ministry and Kurdish authorities argue over who is allowed to authorise oil deals in Kurdistan, and Kurdish officials also say they must be involved in any deals in Kirkuk.
Kirkuk, with 8.5 billion barrels of reserves and another northern field, Bai Hassan, which holds 2.29 billion barrels, both failed to close deals at a June auction. Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) is in talks with Iraq to develop Kirkuk's oilfields.
Iraq expects to auction off more fields on Dec. 11-12.
"There are very few companies who would actually like to take on that risk in the north right now. The Kirkuk field might perhaps be an exception because it is so huge and Shell and its partners might want a foothold in that project," said Samuel Ciszuk, Middle East energy analyst at IHS Global Insight.
"We'll probably see a lot of interest in the second licensing round in December for the fields which are located in the south or south-central regions ... but for the fields in the north, there will probably be markedly smaller interest."
LONGER HORIZON
Putting off a decision on Kirkuk and leaving it to the next government may keep tensions from boiling over in the lead up to the January vote, seen as a crucial test for Iraq as it tries to pull out of the bloodshed that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Despite a drop in violence over the last two years, attacks remain common and a threat to the nation's future stability.
Global oil prices and local output remain the main driver for economic growth, especially since Iraq's service and financial sectors remain underdeveloped.
Fund managers say the poll law's passage will not affect prices for Iraq's $2.7 billion global bond of restructured Saddam Hussein-era commercial claims, which matures in 2028 and begins to repay principal by 2020.
"The election law is a marginal positive for the bond. We would have seen a stronger negative (if it failed to pass)," said a senior investment manager at a European firm, asking not to be identified.
"Postponing the resolution (on Kirkuk) doesn't have much of an impact on the bond ... For foreign investment, it's much more negative ... from a bond perspective, there's a longer horizon." (Editing by Michael Christie)