Iraq is prioritizing efforts to expand French major Total’s role in its energy sector. Just weeks after Total CEO Patrick Pouyanné met with oil minister Ihsan Ismaael in Baghdad and toured Basra oilfields in January (MEES, 29 January), Iraq is calling for the partners to “accelerate the implementation of the joint cooperation program.”

The latest announcement on 17 March followed discussions between Mr Ismaael and two senior Total executives – recently appointed Middle East upstream chief Laurent Vivier and Total’s Iraq manager Dunia Chalabi. (CONTINUED - 618 WORDS)