Russia's largest independent crude producer LUKoil signed on Sunday a 20-year contract to develop Iraq's massive West Qurna-2 oil field.
LUKoil will develop the 12.88 billion-barrel oil field in the Basra province in southern Iraq as a consortium with Norway's StatoilHydro. The consortium, in which the Russian company holds 56.25% and StatoilHydro 18.75%, won the tender for the oil field in December last year.
The consortium will be joined by the Iraqi state company with a 25% stake in the project.
Drilling at the deposit is expected to begin in 2011 and production in late 2012. The oil field is scheduled to reach its target output of over 90 million metric tons a year (1.8 million barrels per day) in 2017.
The West Qurna-2 development plan stipulates additional seismic studies and the drilling of over 500 oil wells.
LUKoil will invest $4.5 billion in West Qurna-2 within the next four to five years and $300 million in 2010.
LUKoil was involved in the development of the first phase of West Qurna-2 and signed a contract with the Saddam Hussein regime to develop the second stage, but the deal was frozen in 2002.
BAGHDAD, January 31 (RIA Novosti)
