Salahuddin oil wealth not exploited due to restrictions

Shafaq News / Salahuddin governorate complained from "government restrictions and legislation" that prevented it from turning into a "petroleum" governorate competing with Kirkuk, calling on the federal government to release oil investment and natural resources "trapped in the land."

"Governmental legislation and sovereign restrictions prevented Salahuddin  from converting to an oil city that competes with or exceeds Kirkuk because of its vast stock of crude oil, gas and sulfur, which is still trapped in the land, without knowing the reasons for the delay in its investment,” The head of Salahuddin Investment Authority, Laith Hameed, told Shafaq News Agency.."

Hamid indicated that "Salahuddin contains abundant oil sites in Alas, Ajil, fields natural gas and sulfur fields in Shirqat, as well as  oil wells in Al-Ishaqi area south of the governorate, in addition to wells and oil sites scattered in several areas of the governorate," explaining that "a large part of them was not discovered so far, along with oil refineries have been suspended, most notably Al-Seniya refinery in the north of the province. "

"Salahuddin will turn into the largest oil province and exporter of natural gas in the country if it has opportunities for investment and exploration," adding that "as long as the oil file is sovereign and confined within the authority of the federal government, the opportunities to exploit the oil wealth in Salahuddin require a long time and complicated procedures. "

The administration of Al-Ishaqi town, south of Salahuddin governorate, demanded, through Shafaq News Agency, the federal government and concerned the authorities with investing oil wells southwest of the district, which is an enormous wealth for the sub-district and the province in general."

Director of the district, Jassem Al-Buzayi, confirmed that 7 oil wells are located in “Jazerra Al-Farhatia” southwest of the district and close to the borders of Anbar Governorate, ready for investment since the eighties, indicating that a French company has completed hundreds of meters “pipelines” in the land and prepared the wells for investment then they were closed with "Concrete."

Official reports in Iraq revealed that there are large quantities of oil in Salahuddin Governorate with in large quantities sufficient for the next 500 years.

According to the semi-official statistics of the competent authorities in Salahuddin and the Ministry of Oil, there are about 12 oil fields that have not been invested or developed in addition to 57 giant wells, which have been documented with the previous government parties.

According to those involved in the oil field, the existing wealth of oil in Salahuddin underground was estimated as the "size of the Caspian Sea" between Iran and Russia, while experts in the province recommended that it is not possible to construct multi-storey buildings in areas that contain or near oil fields , as it floats above the largest oil wealth.