ExxonMobil and its partners have awarded a contract to oil services firm Schlumberger to drill 10 wells in Iraq’s West Qurna Phase One oilfield, industry sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The contract award was finalised a few days ago but a final contract is yet to be signed with Schlumberger, the sources told the news agency.
Rehabilitation of the West Qurna field is being led by the US oil major in a consortium as part of a 20-year development contract it signed with Iraq earlier this year.
Schlumberger was awarded a contract to drill new wells in the Rumaila oilfield back in March.
Other major oilfield service providers including Weatherford and Halliburton have been called to bid for another tender to drill a further 15 wells, which may be awarded in early 2011 according to Reuters.
Last year saw the awarding of massive oilfield development contracts to companies such as Exxon, BP and Shell which could usher in an oil boom especially as Iraq is hoping to boost production to 12 million bpd within seven years.
