Iraq’s Oil Reserve estimated at 200 billion (b) barrels, official says

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq ’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Hussein al-Shahristany, has said on Saturday that Iraq ’s oil reserves had reached 200 billion (b) barrels, making it the country with the third world oil reserves.   “ Iraq ’s oil reserve is estimated at 200 billion (b) barrels, whist its announced oil reserve is 143 billion (b) barrels, apart from the oil reserve in Kurdistan Region and the western areas of the country,” Sharistany said in a speech at the Symposium of Advisors, attended on Saturday by representatives of the Granting States and the UN Representative.   Shahristany said that “70% of Iraq ’s oil reserves exists in 7 oil fields in southern Iraq ,” expecting that “the Iraqi oil production would reach 3 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the current year.”   The symposium, held under the slogan “Iraq’s conditions as seen by the Granting Society,” was attended by a large number of Arab and foreign officials, along with Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, his Deputy, Saleh al-Mutlaq, Vice-President, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Foreign Minister, Hoshiar Zibary, the Government Spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, Finance Minister, Raf’e al-Issawi and others.   SKH (IT)   754