Shafaq News/ A delegation from British Petroleum (BP) has arrived in Kirkuk to hold intensive discussions with the North Oil Company, aiming to finalize an agreement to develop the region's oil fields, according to a senior company source.

This follows the memorandum of understanding signed on August 1 under the supervision of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. The agreement, involving Iraq’s Ministry of Oil and BP, focuses on rehabilitating and expanding production in key Kirkuk oil fields, including the Baba and Avanah domes and three adjacent fields - Bai Hassan, Jambur, and Khabbaz - that are operated by the Government of Iraq’s North Oil Company (NOC), with the possibility of adding more fields in the future.

The source revealed that “BP presented its initial plan during meetings with North Oil Company officials, outlining surveys and preparations for oil wells. A meeting with Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha is also scheduled to discuss the progress.”

Additionally, the North Oil Company has already initiated a work plan to boost production, focusing on connecting wells in Bai Hassan, upgrading the pipeline network in the Avanah field, repairing damaged pipelines at Shoraw station, and implementing a drilling and reclamation plan.

Economic expert Abbas Al-Ali explained that the partnership aims to increase oil production in Kirkuk's fields, which currently produce approximately 325,000 barrels per day (bpd). The target is to more than double output to 650,000 bpd.

“The agreement also includes a three-dimensional seismic study of the reservoirs to maximize extraction efficiency,” Al-Ali said.

Estimates indicate that the Kirkuk field contains around nine billion barrels of recoverable oil, underscoring its strategic importance for Iraq’s energy sector.