Iraq is planning to issue new list of pre-qualified international companies to bid for future oil and gas deals to develop the country's fields, a spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry said Monday.
Last April, Iraq accepted 35 international oil companies to compete for hydrocarbon contracts out of 120 firms that applied to the ministry to qualify.
"There will be another invitation for companies to submit their qualification documentation to compete for the development of smaller oil and gas fields," Assem Jihad told Dow Jones Newswires.
Jihad said the 35 companies announced in April would compete for the development of Iraq's large oil fields. The ministry is expected to announce the first round of tenders to develop these oil fields in the second half of the year, Iraqi oil officials have said.
The ministry spokesman didn't specify when the ministry would issue the new invitation for companies to send their documentation for qualification, but said it would be as soon as the ministry finished awarding the first round of tenders to develop large oil fields.