No Water, No Gain for Iraq’s Oil Development
Posted by Saltanat Berdikeeva on November 13, 2012 Iraq vaulted to second place this year among the largest oil producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and is poised to ramp up its already robust output even further. But the country’s severe water scarcity could be the Achilles’ heel of its oil production. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) new…
As Iraq’s Oil Boom Progresses, So Does Gas Flaring
Posted by Saltanat Berdikeeva on September 25, 2012 Iraq’s oil production reached 3.2 million barrels per day (mbpd) this past August – nearly 1 mbpd more than it was a year ago. That growth is set to continue: Iraq, home to the world’s fourth largest proven petroleum reserves, plans to ramp up production to 10 mbpd in six years. Given that 95 percent…
In Libya, One Region’s Stability Is Key to Oil Supply
Posted by Saltanat Berdikeeva on September 4, 2012 After a steep decline in oil production during the uprising that ended with the fall of Muammar Qaddafi’s long-standing regime at this time last year, Libya has restored its output to near pre-war levels. Now, it must address political conflicts that threaten this recovery, particularly in the eastern Cyrenaica region (map), which is home to…
A Cold War Over Resources in Central Asia
Posted by Saltanat Berdikeeva on May 30, 2012 Earlier this year, a U.S. intelligence report predicted that as water shortages become more acute, “water in shared basins will increasingly be used as leverage” over the next 10 years and beyond. This prediction is already being borne out in places such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (map), where long-standing distrust between the two nations has…
