Rosneft and Iraqi Kurdistan Government Agree to Expand Strategic Cooperation
Rosneft and the Kurdistan Regional Government, as part of the XXI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, signed a series of agreements on widening their cooperation in exploration and production of hydrocarbons, commerce and logistics. The documents were signed ahead of the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan Nechirvan Barzani by Igor Sechin, Rosneft Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Natural Resources for the Kurdistan Regional Government.The Parties signed an investment agreement under which they committed to develop cooperation in exploration and production, agreed on monetization of the export oil pipeline in Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as entered into a number of production sharing agreements.The agreement outlines the main terms of the project which provides for the establishment of a joint venture for implementation of the long-term contract related to infrastructure systems in Iraqi Kurdistan. Rosneft will get access to the major regional transportation system with the throughput capacity of 700 thousand bbl per day, which is planned to be expanded up to 1 mln bbl per day by the end of 2017. Also, the Parties committed to enter into effect of the PSAs signed as part of the Forum with respect to five blocks with substantial geological potential and outlines other perspective areas of cooperation in exploration and production, including the gas sphere.The signed documents strengthen cooperation between Rosneft and Iraqi Kurdistan, which started in February 2017 from signing a contract on purchase and sale of crude in 2017-2019. The new agreements will allow to talk about full entry of the Company in one of the most promising regions of the developing global energy market with the expected recoverable reserves in the order of 45 billion bbl of oil and 5.66 trillion m3 of gas (according to the estimate of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Kurdistan Region). The agreements provide for further phased investments of Rosneft in Kurdistan Region.Upon the signing ceremony Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin said: "The Company is widening its cooperation with Iraqi Kurdistan across the whole production chain. The crude is being delivered to the German refineries of Rosneft, which is indicative of our successful business diversification strategy. The Agreements are signed under the conditions profitable for the Company and set an example of well-weighed investments in one of the key Middle East regions, which will make it possible for the Company to expand its exploration and production geography, provide feedstock for Rosneft's growing refining network and to raise profitability of our international assets".Notes for editors:The mutually profitable partnership of Rosneft and Kurdistan commenced last winter: in February 2017, at the IP Week Conference in London (UK), the Parties signed an agreement on cooperation in exploration, production, infrastructure, logistics and trading of hydrocarbons. According to the agreement, the parties signed a contract for the purchase and sale of oil to Rosneft from 2017 to 2019. The contract provides for an advance payment. The production buyer is Rosneft's trading Subsidiary - Rosneft Trading SA. The crude purchase contract is part of the strategy for international trading development and provision of feedstock for the existing and perspective foreign refineries of Rosneft.