Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Re: Ask Creek Oil Field Undergoes Third Oil Harvest

Elk Petroleum is planning is employing new technology in Sheridan County that will enable oil to be harvested from the North Ash Creek Oil Field. Ralph Schulte, engineering manager, explains that oil resources in the county have been detected and recovered for decades now.

The initial efforts produced six million barrels of oil. Schulte says even after two waves of extraction crews, there's still more to be collected.

Chemical flooding is among the last stages of oil recovery in a reservoir. Schulte said the process basically entails washing the ground with soap to separate leftover oil for collection.

Ralph said a chemical flood of the field could yield up to 2 million barrels of oil.



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Amerikaanse 'fiscale cliff' deal ongrijpbaar, hoewel posities verzachten

REUTERS-the u.s. Congress moved by thumb on Tuesday to compromise on taxes and spending, but a firm deal to stave off the "fiscal cliff" at the end of the year still seemed miles away, despite the growing pressure from business interests for action.

President Barack Obama was set to meetings with business leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday and then a trip to a factory in Pennsylvania on Friday his case on taxes.

Fresh from his November re-election, Obama wants to expand 6 low income tax for middle class Americans, but let tax rates rise on income over 250,000 dollars per year per family.

Republicans opposed to this position and favor low income tax rates extension, adopted during the Government of former President George w. Bush, for all income groups.

Without action by Congress, the Bush tax cuts expire at year-end and rates for most taxpayers will rise.

The dispute with the tax rate is the central obstacle to an agreement which prevented the nation plunging of the fiscal cliff, a convergence of an estimated $ 600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that threatens that would lead to another recession.

"There remains no clarity on the final status of the Bush tax cuts, which must be resolved before you can move forward with the rest of the fiscal cliff," said Chris Krueger, an analyst at Guggenheim securities Washington research group.

The debate raged in Congress, as the Government another improvement in the planned American business expenses reported in October, while the American stock prices were largely flat on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average was about 12,950, to 15 percent from a year ago despite market concerns about fiscal policy.

Republicans have not shifted from their position against a tariff tax increases, but a few are open to the public have a promise of no new taxes that the rumored most of them have held for years, tax revenues, otherwise higher rates to put on the negotiating table.

REID SLAMS NORQUIST

The promise-enforced by his group Americans for reform of the taxation and fiscal frugality activist Grover Norquist came for renewed criticism from Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid.

"For years, Norquist has bullied lawmakers ... So I was glad to see a few Republicans in Congress distance itself from Norquist this week, "Reid said on the floor of the Senate.

"Several Republican lawmakers have said revenue should be on the table at fiscal cliff negotiations. Now it's time for the Republicans are happy talk into action. "

Norquist Tuesday on Fox News and said talk of Republicans backing vocals away from his promise appeared was "a complete media-created frenzy."

Also on Tuesday, Dick Durbin, a senior Senate Democrat and close ally of the Obama Liberals that reform of the costly colleague, called Medicare and Medicaid gezondheidszorg's, signalling democratic compromise in an area where they have determined opposition to change.

' Progressives should are prepared to talk about ways to ensure the long-term viability of Medicare and Medicaid for the elderly and the poor, "Durbin said in excerpts from a speech.

But he added Medicare and Medicaid not part of the current negotiations must have to avert the fiscal cliff. That plane was Durbin firmly with Obama, urging extension of middle-class tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans.

As part of a multi-pronged pressure on taxes, Obama will meet with a group of small business owners on Tuesday. On Wednesday he will host leaders of larger companies. He will then on Friday, a factory of the Rodon group, a small toy company in Pennsylvania visits.

Obama's visit and his meetings in the White House are designed to pressure Republicans extending tax cuts for middle-income people and terminate them for richer families.

A pressure group called Fix the debt – including budget deficit hawks and business leaders scheduled for Wednesday at his own press conference-insisting Congress "to establish a plan that would send us away from the fiscal cliff and further economic instability."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell ripped in Obama for planning to hit the road later this week to promote his tax agenda. "Rather than sit down with legislators of both parties and work out an agreement, he is back out on the campaign trail," McConnell roared on the floor of the Senate.

"We already know that the President is a very good campaigner. What we don't know is whether he has the leadership qualities needed to lead his party until a bipartisan agreement. "

(Thomas Ferraro, Richard Cowan, Kim Dixon Reporting, Patricia Zengerle, Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal. Writing by Kevin Drawbaugh. By Karey Wutkowski edit and Jackie Frank)

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Wall St slips on cliff caution, but homebuilders gloss

NEW YORK (Reuters)-u.s. stocks fell on Tuesday as the wrangling continued in Washington over budget talks, while homebuilders stocks outperformed the broader market after positive data.

Strengthening the case for a sustainable rebound in housing construction, single-family home prices rose for an eighth straight month in September. The Semiconductor Sector index housing.HGX advanced 0.5 percent, with all but one of the 19 items gains books.

"As long as you have an interest rate as low as they are now, housing is definitely back," said Brian Amidei, managing director at HighTower Advisors in Palm Desert, California.

Despite strong housing data, an increase of more than the scheduled business expenditure and a 4-year high in consumer sentiment traders were cautious as politicians in Washington made little progress in the treatment of the "fiscal cliff."

Markets have lately focused on whether Congress and the White House can agree on ways to prevent some $ 600 billion in cuts and tax increases the automatic due to kick in early next year.

"If there is any reason why the (stock) market is jammed, it is because large investors have decided to take a step back and see this game, because I think she's very aware of how important this is," said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer of Hugh Johnson Advisors LLC in Albany, New York.

The Dow Jones industrial average.DJI fell 74.53 points, or 0.57 percent, to 12, 892.84. The S P 500 Index &. SPX dropped 5.68 points, or 0.40 percent, to 1, 400.61. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 4.80 points, or 0.16 percent, IXIC. to 2, 971.98.

The S P 500 & stopped 1,400, an important psychological level the recovered last week. Last week, got the S & P 500 nearly 4 percent.

As budget negotiations hang, Las Vegas Sands (LVS.N) and Supertex (SUPX.O) added their names to a growing list of companies announcing special dividends aimed at helping investors to avoid a possibly higher tax burden next year.

Las Vegas Sands jumped 5.5 percent to $ 46.46. Supertex rose by 3.4 percent to $ 17.41.

Food maker Ralcorp Holdings (RAH.N) shares rose 26.5% to $ 88.82 after long time freer unknown foods (CAG.N) sealed a deal to buy for $ 5 billion. Unknown acquired shares 4.3 percent to $ 29.50.

Corning Inc. (GLW.N) shares rose 6.7 percent to $ 12.11 after the specialty glass maker said that it expects that the sale of its entire year Gorilla glass, which is used in smartphones and tablets, approach $ 1 billion.

McMoRan exploration co. (MMR.N) shares tumbled 11.8 percent to $ 8.51 per day after the oil and gas industry driller gave a disappointing update on a prospect important gas in a Gulf of Mexico.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editibg of Jan Paschal)

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European and U.s. stocks slip on fiscal concerns

NEW YORK (Reuters)-the euro and the u.s. stocks fell on Tuesday as concerns about the threat to the world economy posed by the u.s. "fiscal cliff" offset optimism of a deal to relieve Greece debt, although European and Asian stocks gained on first investor optimism.

The downdraft in u.s. stocks was unlike moves higher on other stock markets around the world, while safe haven German bonds declined after global lenders a new deal to reduce Greece's debt and releasing loans needed to reached the country stay afloat.

But investors if Democrats and Republicans prepared to resume budget negotiations in Washington, again evaluated risk.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that he is disappointed that there is "little progress" under democratic and Republican legislators as they try to reach a deal to prevent the end of the year "fiscal cliff.

President Barack Obama will this week launch a multiple pressure support for his proposals to avoid sharp tax increases and cuts which will otherwise enter into force at the beginning of 2013 and could hurt economic growth.

Positive u.s. economic data is not managed to concerns. A gauge of the U.s. business planned expenditure increased the most in five months in October. But a fourth consecutive month of declines in shipments underscores the damage inflicted by fear of a tighter fiscal policy next year.

"Now that Greece is out of the picture for the time being, the u.s. fiscal slope is front and center," said Christopher Vecchio, currency analyst at DailyFX in New York.

The euro touched $ 1.3009 early in the global day, its highest level since October 31, but lost momentum when tentatively set back. The last of 0.3 percent at $ 1.2932.

Michael Hintze, founder and CEO of hedge fund CQS, told a Reuters Summit he expects the euro zone to continue muddling through her problems. But he added that "the chances are pretty high ping on the road by misstep."

After 12 hours of talks, international lenders decided on steps to cut Greek debt to 124 percent of gross domestic product by 2020 and promised further measures to lower it below 110 percent in 2022.

After months of jockeying, the deal was generally expected by the markets and paves the way for the euro zone neighbors Greece and the International Monetary Fund to pay out nearly 35 billion euro aid next month.

But with doubts about the ability of Greece to its growth and debt reduction targets to hit, few analysts expect the most recent agreement to the last chapter in the euro zone crisis three years.

Although stocks waxed and waned during the u.s. session, they lost ground as investors finally found small gains support.

The Dow Jones industrial average.DJI ended down 89.24 points, or 0.69 percent, at 12, 878.13. The default & arms of 500 Index decreased 7.35 is points, or 0.52 percent/SPX, on 1, 398.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 8.99 points, or 0.30 percent, IXIC. to 2, 967.79.

"It's about your money, and it's going now," said Frank Lesh, a futures analyst and broker at FuturePath Trading LLC in Chicago. "At this point, you must make your movements and

Avoid the threat of more taxes.

"As long as there is no deal, I would expect to see more of these machinations – just in case," he said.

The MSCI index of global stocks for last of 0.2 percent. European shares on the FTSEurofirst 300 index.FTEU3 ended up 0.3% and the MSCI index of shares the broadest of the Asia-Pacific outside Japan gained 0.5 percent on a near three weeks high.

DEBT TALKS

Safe haven German Government fell after the Greek deal bonds, with benchmark Bunds delivers on 1.434 percent. Ten year Greek yields were last at 15.824 percent.

The benchmark 10-year U.s. Treasury note rose 8/32, with the yield of 1.6386 percent.

"(The Greek deal) is not a green light for a sustainable rally for risk assets across the Board. As we have seen before once the market begins to investigate some of the details, well doubts, "said Michael Leister, a senior rates strategist at Commerzbank in London.

Unease about the American and Greek Finances was compensated by the encouraging data on the u.s. economy.

U.s. consumer confidence rose to a four-and-a-half year high in November as consumers became more optimistic about the economic prospects of the private sector, according to a report published on Tuesday.

The Greek agreement encouraged buyer on a three-week high before it gave profits, while Brent crude retreated to about 110 dollars per barrel as Greek optimism was countered by concerns about the looming fiscal situation of the USA. U.s. crude oil futures fell 0.5 percent to $ 87.31.

After a first post-Greek deal lead decreased to $ 741.25 per ounce gold, of 0.4 percent.

(Reporting by Nick Olivari additional reporting by Angela Moon and Ed Krudy in New York and Marc Jones and Emelia Sithole-Matarise in London; Edit by Dan Grebler)

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Wall St falls, hit by Reid's ' fiscal cliff ' comments

NEW YORK (Reuters)-u.s. stocks slipped on Tuesday in a choppy session, losing ground in the last hour before the closure after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed disappointment that there has been "little progress" in dealing with the "fiscal cliff."

The market was strong flat for most of the session, but fell after Reid's comments, a signal that investors remain skittish about the wrangling in Washington. The CBOE volatility Index, or the VIX, jumped on Reid's words.

"It may be that the market feels the goodwill before (last week) Thanksgiving to more political intransigence develops," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark.

"The clock is ticking on Wall Street, with regard to a framework for the (political) consensus," she said.

Markets are focused on whether Congress and the White House can agree on ways to prevent some $ 600 billion in cuts and tax increases the automatic due to kick in early next year.

As budget negotiations hang, Las Vegas Sands (LVS.N) and Supertex (SUPX.O) added their names to a growing list of companies announcing special dividends aimed at helping investors to avoid a possibly higher tax burden next year.

Higher dividend and capital gains taxes are part of the negotiations in Washington and even if a deal be manipulated can be increased.

Las Vegas Sands jumped 5.3 percent to $ 46.36. Supertex rose by 6.9 percent to $ 18.

The S P 500 with 's-& modest losses on Tuesday marked its worst day in eight sessions – give traders are unwilling to aggressively sell if a deal would probably lead to a rally. The benchmark S & P 500 closed again under 1,400, an important psychological level that it had recovered last week as it rose nearly 4 percent.

The VIX.VIX shot up 2.7 percent to 15.92 at closing. Between 2 pm and 3 pm in New York the VIX rose 3.9 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average.DJI fell 89.24 points, or 0.69 percent, to 12, 878.13 at the end. The S P 500 &. SPX fell 0.52 percent, or 7.35 is points, to end at 1, 398.94. The Nasdaq Composite lost 8.99 points, or 0.30 percent, IXIC. to end at 2, 967.79.

Transactions in Washington strong economic figures, including a darkened increase planned spending and consumer business confidence hitting the highest level in more than four years.

Strengthening the case for a sustainable rebound in housing construction, single-family home prices rose for an eighth straight month in September. Shares of M/I homes (MHO.N) acquired 2.1 percent to $ 22.36. KB Home (KBH.N) added 1.1 percent to $ 14.61.

"As long as you have an interest rate as low as they are now, housing is definitely back," said Brian Amidei, managing director at HighTower Advisors in Palm Desert, California.

In another good sign for consumer demand, Corning Inc. (GLW.N) shares rose 6.9 percent to $ 12.13 after the specialty glass maker said that it expects that the sale of its entire year Gorilla glass, which is used in smartphones and tablets, approach $ 1 billion.

Food maker Ralcorp Holdings (RAH.N) shares rose 26.4% to $ 88.80 after long time freer unknown foods (CAG.N) sealed a deal to buy for $ 5 billion. Unknown acquired shares 4.7 percent to $ 29.63.

McMoRan exploration co. (MMR.N) shares tumbled 15.2 percent to $ indoor per day after the oil and gas industry driller gave a disappointing update on a prospect important gas in a Gulf of Mexico.

Approximately 5.9 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average so far this year of about 6.5 billion shares.

On the NYSE, about five issues fell for every four that rose. Six stocks fell on Nasdaq for the five that rose.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Additional reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Edit Jan Paschal)

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American business improve despite expenditure tax cloud

WASHINGTON (Reuters)-a gauge of the planned U.s.-business spending more in October by the most in five months, raising cautious optimism that the sharp cuts in capital investment in the summer.

Fear of deep cuts in spending and large tax beginning next year, a combination known as the fiscal Cliff walks, Government had caused companies survival container nestled.

But orders for non-defence capital goods excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, rose 1.7 percent last month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

"Although the improvement in demand offers little encouragement that the worse of the malaise in capital investment may be behind us, there is little to suggest that this may be the beginning of a meaningful rebound," said Millan Mulraine, a senior economist at TD Securities in New York.

The increase in so-called core capital goods orders confounded economists expectations for a decline of 0.5%.

Lawmakers and the Obama administration are engaged in negotiations to avoid automatic cuts and increases that could suck $ 600 billion from the economy early next year and a fresh recession fuel tax. Little visible signs of progress have emerged.

"With intense focus on the fiscal cliff and continuing uncertainty about the Economic Outlook in the new year, it remains to be seen whether the shot October can be maintained. It is not clear that it can, "said Omair Sharif, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut.

"One month doesn't a trend and the trend shows solid companies are still in a kind of a wait-and-see mode on the area of the capital expenditure."

CONSUMERS MORE BULLISH

Given the lag between orders and shipments, economists expect business investment to remain an obstacle for economic activity in the fourth quarter.

Shipments of core capital goods fell in October for a fourth consecutive month, and economists said that the stronger orders not could translate into improved shipments until early 2013.

However, a few economists bumped up their meager fourth quarter GDP forecasts something because the decline in shipments was smaller than expected. Core goods shipments are used for calculating business expenses for equipment and software in the gross domestic product report.

In the third quarter, business spending tumbled for the first time since the 2007-09 recession ended, weighed down by the fiscal cliff, Europe's long-term debt problems and slowdown in global demand.

While the weakness in business spending has limiting growth, the housing market is good on steam and consumer confidence is more bullish, that the recovery of the aid.

Single-family house prices rose for an eighth straight month in September, a separate report showed. The default & poor 's/Case-Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 0.4 percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Home building to add to growth this year for the first time since 2005 and expected firming housing prices bode well for housing construction activity.

"The strengthening of the housing prices is a plus for growth through various channels, including increased consumer spending because of the wealth and confidence effects," said Jim O'Sullivan, Chief Economist at high frequency economics in Valhalla, New York.

A third report showed consumer confidence hit a 4-1/2 year high in November. Economists, however, warned that the fiscal Cliff sentiment could erode in the coming months.

Stocks on Wall Street ended down as investors worried about the lack of progress in the elaboration of a deal on the Government budgetary problem, while prices for U.s. Treasury debt eked out modest profit. The dollar firmed against a basket of currencies.

Orders for U.S. durable goods and ready-made — items intended to last three years or more — in October were unchanged as gains in machinery, fabricated metal products, and computer and electronic products offset the Drag of cars, Defense goods and civilian aircraft.

Economists had expected durable goods orders to fall 0.6 percent last month. They rose by 9.2 percent in September.

With the exception of transportation, orders rose 1.5 percent in October after a rise of 1.7 percent the previous month.

(Additional reporting by Edward Krudy in New York; Edit by Andrea Ricci, Tim Ahmann and Tim Dobbyn)

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Asian stocks fall as the focus moves to the u.s. budget talks

TOKYO (Reuters)-Asian shares ended a winning streak of seven days on Wednesday as investor concern increased about whether u.s. lawmakers the world's largest economy in danger of a recession that were to make headway in their budget discussions by not.

Tuesday the agreement by international lenders to cut Greek debt relief that the country offered a looming bankruptcy, but skepticism about the lack of details about how Athens will run budget reforms to meet the new objectives of the debt is averted capped a rise in European equities and the euro.

U.s. stocks slipped overnight after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed disappointment about little progress in dealing with an approaching "fiscal cliff" of deep cuts in government spending and large tax hikes at the beginning of next year.

MSCI the broadest index of shares of the Asia-Pacific outside Japan advanced of 0.2 per cent, retreating from Tuesday nearly three weeks highlights.

Australian shares.AXJO decreased 0.4 percent, easing two-week highlights. Government data on Wednesday showed a delay in investment in the resource sector, the main motor of the Australian growth, such as costs rose and commodity prices fall, driven by a drop-off in the Chinese question.

Committed investments in large resources and energy projects still rose to a $ 268.4 billion on 31 October a 260.8 billion dollars in late April, but the rise partly due to higher project costs and a decrease in the number of projects masked said Australia's Bureau of resources and energy economy.

South Korean shares.KS11 opened 0.5 percent lower.

The agreement on Greece is good news that it opens the door for disbursements to prevent a default on upcoming debt payments, but it doesn't relate to financing and medium-term debt sustainability issues, Barclays Capital analysts said in a note.

"The uncertainty brought by this approach allows European assets, including the euro, vulnerable to global growth risks. For that reason, we believe that the European muddle through strengthened the market response to the fiscal cliff discussion in the us. "

The euro fell 0.1 percent to $ 1.2937, slipping from a peak of $ 1.3010 hit on the news from Greece on Tuesday, its highest level since October 31.

Japanese Nikkei stock average.Follow N225 opened of 0.5%, after the conclusion of a seven-month high.

The Nikkei has risen 8.8 percent in the past two weeks since the Government announced a 16 December elections. Japan's largest opposition party expected to win power and investors expect that it will force the Bank of Japan in aggressive easing.

Concerns about the fiscal crisis overshadowed positive us economic data which showed improvement in durable orders, the real estate sector and consumer confidence, that a 4-1/2-year high in November, hit and drove that safe haven US Treasury prices higher while the strengthening of the dollar.

The dollar fell 0.1 percent against the yen at 82.06. U.s. crude oil futures fell by 0.1 per cent at $ 87.09 per barrel. Gold stabilized at $ 1, per ounce on Tuesday after slipping 741.45 for a second session.

(Editing by Michael Perry)

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No Excuse for Violence Against Women

British Ambassador opens workshop to combat sexual violence

As part of a global initiative to prevent violence against women, the British Ambassador to Iraq, Simon Collis, yesterday opened a workshop organised in cooperation with the British Embassy and the Ministry of Interior.

A British expert in women’s rights, Harriet Ware-Austin, chaired the workshop which was attended by senior officials and representatives from the police. Its purpose was to identify the needs of Iraqi authorities to enable them to better protect women from violence.

Speaking at the event, Simon Collis said,

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Two Lebanese Banks Target Iraq

By John Lee.

Lebanon’s biggest bank, Bank Audi, plans to enter the Iraqi market late next year.

Chief Executive Samir Hanna (pictured) told Reuters that its new Iraqi operation will be a subsidiary of its Turkish business, which it launched in October and which is trading “more than 50 percent ahead” of the bank’s target.

Turkey is Iraq’s biggest trading partner, which Hanna said would provide Bank Audi with a captive customer base, serving Turkish clients who do business with Iraq.

The new venture will begin by focusing on areas such as trade credit and will not be a retail bank, he said.

The bank, which held $29 billion of assets at the end of Septmber, also has a “Plan B” to quit Syria if the situation deteriorates further.

Byblos, Lebanon’s third-largest bank with with nearly $17 billion in assets, became the first Lebanese bank to venture into Iraq in 2007. Its general manager, Sami Haddad, views the country as “grossly under-banked” and said that Byblos intends to add two branches to the three it already has in the country.

“You would have to be stupid not to make money,” he said.

(Source: Reuters)

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Video: Sonoro Energy Targets Northern Iraq

By John Lee.

Richard Wadsworth, CEO of Sonoro Energy, talks to Proactive Investors at the Oil Council World Assembly.

He says the company’s licence area in the Salah ad Din Province in Northern Iraq is in a “very prolific, attractive” basin:

(Source: Proactive Investors)

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OptaSense Wins Contract in Iraq

By John Lee.

OptaSense, which is owned by QinetiQ, has secured a key pipeline security contract in Iraq. The contract is to help provide protection to a new 180km pipeline corridor, owned and run by the State Company for Oil Project Iraq (SCOP).

OptaSense will be providing the technology to allow vital operational and security data to help operate, protect and secure the pipeline along both sides of a 60 meters wide pipeline corridor. When complete the pipeline corridor will be protected by over 20,000 virtual microphones making it one of the most monitored assets in the region.

This means any activity in and around the pipeline corridor will be

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Iraq to Give Jordan Free Crude Oil

By John Lee.

The Iraqi cabinet decided on Tuesday to give neighboring Jordan 100,000 barrels of oil as a gift to help it overcome its economic difficulties.

According to a report from Businessweek, the move could be seen as an attempt by the Shiite-led Iraqi government to offer support to one of its Sunni neighbors.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have fled to Jordan because of violence that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of their country.

Recent increases in energy prices have sparked nationwide protests in Jordan, some of them violent, and there have even been calls for Jordan’s King Abdullah II to step down.

According to an agreement with Iraq, Jordan buys 15,000 barrels of oil a day, with preferential prices of less than $18 a barrel, about one-fifth of the current market price of oil.

(Source: Businessweek)

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Housing Ministry Asks for $3.5bn Each Year

Iraq to Give Jordan Free Crude Oil OptaSense Wins Contract in Iraq Video: Sonoro Energy Targets Northern Iraq Two Lebanese Banks Target Iraq Categorized

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Baker Hughes converts hydraulic fracturing units to bifuel pumps

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Baker Hughes has converted a fleet of its Rhino hydraulic fracturing units to bifuel pumps as a way to improve operational efficiency, lower costs and reduce health, safety and environmental impacts.

The new pumps use a mixture of natural gas and diesel, reducing diesel use by up to 65% with no loss of hydraulic horsepower. The converted fleet, which meets all US Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards, can also reduce a number of emissions, including nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and particulate matter.

Baker Hughes first converted a small fleet of its units in Canada. When results there were successful, the company decided to convert an entire fleet in the US. The company is in the process of converting several more fleets of Rhino trucks to Rhino Bifuel equipment. Additionally, Baker Hughes has a test program in Oklahoma, where a number of light-duty vehicles have been converted to natural gas.

“Baker Hughes has seen excellent results with this initiative,” Mike Davis, Baker Hughes’ president of pressure pumping for US land. “The environmental benefits are significant. We’re reducing emissions from the engines driving the stimulation pumps and less fuel is needed to keep our pumps going. In addition, this has the added value of improving job site safety by eliminating re-fueling demands during operations.”

Using the converted Rhino Bifuel units, Baker Hughes recently completed a hydraulic fracturing job in the Eagle Ford Shale for Cheyenne Petroleum Co. Cheyenne was interested in using some of the converted units given the potential savings by cutting diesel consumption, as well as the long-term reduction in emissions. Baker Hughes was able to pump 35 stages using three of the converted Rhinos during each stage. Throughout the job, Baker Hughes saw a 65% substitution (diesel fuel was replaced with liquefied natural gas) rate with no loss of horsepower. By substituting natural gas into the converted diesel engine, the bifuel alternative can operate twice as long as engines running solely with the on-board diesel.

“The use of the converted Rhino Bifuel units was transparent during the job,” Greg Presley, senior operations engineer for Cheyenne Petroleum, said.  “The job pumped the same as a 100% diesel job with many environmental benefits.”

Rhino is a trademark of Baker Hughes.



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Foreign Minister Zebari Meets Ukrainian Delegation

By John Lee.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari met his Ukrainian counterpart Konstantin Krishenko and his accompanying delegation in recent days.

The two sides held talks on strengthening bilateral relations and ways of developing them, which coincided with the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of relations between Iraq and Ukraine.

They signed a joint statement on the development of relations between the two countries, in addition to the signing of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the two countries’ Institutes of Foreign Service, and agreed to exchange visits between the two countries.

In conclusion, the two sides held a press conference where Minister Zebari praised the role of Ukraine in contributing in various fields in building the new Iraq.

The Ukranian Minister met with Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and the ministers of oil and municipalities and Industry and Chairman of the National Investment Commission.

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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Cresent Wins Major Training Contract at Rumaila

Scottish-based Cresent is delivering the most significant contract in its 30-year history after signing a multi-million pound deal to supply health and safety training products for workers in Iraq’s giant Rumaila oilfield.

Cresent has been awarded the contract by BP Iraq, which is operating the field in a joint venture with PetroChina and the National Iraqi South Oil Company.

The contract involves all facets of Cresent’s business, including consultancy, project management, its control of work software system WorkSafe

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Greek Company Wins 200m-Euro Grand Faw Contract

By John Lee.

Iraq’s Ministry of Transport has reportedly signed a contract with a Greek company to construct the eastern breakwater and dock services for the new Grand Faw sea-port.

According to NINA, the project will cost 204 million Euros, equivalent to 315 billion Iraqi dinars.

While the name of the company was not mentioned, Iraq Businesses News has previously reported that the Greek company Archirodon was one of the two finalists to win the contract.

(Source: NINA)

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Sandstorms, Corruption Make Ninawa Farmers Abandon Land And Home

Agriculture, SecurityPosted on 27 November 2012. Tags: Corruption, Ninawa, Ninawah, Nineveh, Ninewa, Ninewah, sand storms

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Serbia Eyes Investments in Wassit

By John Lee.

The Serbian ambassador to Baghdad, Radisav Petrovich, has expressed his country’s desire to invest in Iraq in general, and in Wassit province in particular.

At a press conference in the city of Kut, the Ambassador Petrovich said a cooperation agreement will be signed shortly between the two countries.

He added that an invitation was extended to Wassit local government to visit Serbia to see their latest industrial and agricultural developments, and said his government intends to increase the number of visas available for Iraqis.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Visits Kurdistan Region

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Gryshchenko Kostyantyn on his first visit to the Kurdistan Region met with President Masoud Barzani, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, and government ministers in Erbil.

Mr Kostyantyn came to the Kurdistan Region as part of his visit to Iraq and arrived in Erbil from Baghdad. President Barzani and Foreign Minister Kostyantyn discussed ways of establishing closer relations between the Kurdistan Region and Ukraine.

The President said,

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Iraq Buys 350,000 Tons of Wheat

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Visits Kurdistan Region Serbia Eyes Investments in Wassit Sandstorms, Corruption Make Ninawa Farmers Abandon Land And Home Categorized

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Sanctions and Collateral Damage

Iraq Buys 350,000 Tons of Wheat Ukrainian Foreign Minister Visits Kurdistan Region Serbia Eyes Investments in Wassit Sandstorms, Corruption Make Ninawa Farmers Abandon Land And Home Categorized

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