Oil Minister: Iraqi Delegation To Visit Kuwait Next Week To Finalize The Export Of Gas

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (NINA) - Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi announced on Wednesday a planned visit by of an Iraqi delegation to Kuwait to finalize an agreement to export gas to Kuwait, stressing that the negotiations with Kuwait revolve around the export of 50 million cubic feet per day of gas which would increase to 150 million and then to 200 million. "An Iraqi delegation will visit Kuwait next week to finalize the agreement for the export of gas to Kuwait," Al-Luaibi told a news conference on the sidelines of preparations for the OAPEC meeting in Kuwait," pointing out that "the gap narrowed between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi sides on the prices of exporting gas to Kuwait." "The negotiations with Kuwait are about exporting 50 million cubic feet per day of gas then increase to 150 million and 200 million," he said, adding that "the OAPEC meeting in Kuwait did not discuss the use of oil to pressure the issue of al-Quds." "I expect oil to remain at $ 60 a barrel in 2018," he said, added "Iraq's current production is between 4.350 million barrels per day and 4.360 million bpd." "We intend to complete the pipeline between Ceyhan and Kirkuk within one year," al-Luaibi said of Iraq's efforts to build the pipeline between Ceyhan and Kirkuk. On the development of oil production from the fields of Kirkuk, he said "I intend to visit the Kirkuk field next Thursday, accompanied by the CEO of BP to activate the agreement." "Our agreement with Iran is to exchange crude oil between 30 and 60 thousand barrels per day for one year, after which we look at the possibility of renewing it," al-Luaibi said of the oil deal announced by Baghdad yesterday with Iran. Oil Minister Jabbar Ali al-Luaibi is participating in the meeting of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) and the golden Jubilee celebrations of OAPEC in Kuwait, attended by a number of ministers of oil and energy. The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding under the patronage of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and the attendance of the Secretary-General of the Organization, Abbas Ali Al-Naqi. The OAPEC Council of Ministers also holds their 99th meeting to discuss and approve the draft budget of the Organization (the Secretariat and the Judiciary) for 2018. OAPEC includes a number of Arab countries including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Algeria, Iraq, Syria and Egypt./ End