SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar said Halliburton Co. and Exxon Mobil Corp were in talks over the oil company’s stake in the West Qurna-1 field in southern Iraq, according to Bloomberg.
Abdul Jabbar told reporters in Baghdad that the country supports a U.S. partner for Exxon’s stake in the oil field, Bloomberg reported on Sunday.
The oil minister further said Iraq would step in to buy the stake if talks with Halliburton failed.
Iraq said in April that Exxon was seeking to sell its 32.7% stake in West Qurna 1, and that the oil ministry had started discussions over a possible deal.
Deputy manager of Iraq’s Basra Oil Co. (BOC) Hassan Mohammed said on Dec. 1 that Halliburton had submitted a proposal to buy Exxon’s stake in West Qurna 1 field.
Halliburton denied it had proposed buying the stake.
“We are not buying an oil field and are not partnering to buy an oil field,” Halliburton Spokesman Emily Mir told Reuters.
The Iraqi oil minister said a few days ago that Basra Oil Co. could also be a potential partner, Bloomberg reported.
“Basra Oil wants to acquire Exxon stake, but to maintain the balance of partners and market, we support a U.S. partner,” he said.
