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Chinese companies win more quotes to check out for Iraq oil and gas

Chinese companies won 4 quotes to check out Iraqi oil and gas fields, Iraq's oil minister said on Sunday as the Middle Eastern nation's hydrocarbon expedition licensing round continued into its 2nd day.

The oil and gas licences for 29 projects are generally targeted at increase output for domestic usage, with more than 20 companies pre-qualifying, consisting of European, Chinese, Arab and Iraqi groups.

Chinese business have been the only foreign players to win quotes, taking 9 oil and gas fields because Saturday, while Iraqi Kurdish business KAR Group took 2.

There were notably no U.S. oil majors involved, even after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia met agents of U.S. business on an official check out to the United States last month.

China's CNOOC Iraq won a quote to establish Iraq's Block 7 for oil exploration that extends throughout the nation's central and southern provinces of Diwaniya, Babil, Najaf, Wasit and Muthanna, stated oil minister Hayan Abdul Ghani.

ZhenHua, Anton Oilfield Services and Sinopec won bids to establish the Abu Khaymah oilfield in Muthanna, the Dhufriya field in Wasit and the Summer field in Muthanna respectively, the minister said.

Iraq's main goal with its sixth licensing round was to boost gas output that it wants to utilize to fire power plants that rely greatly on gas imported from Iran.

No bids were made on at least 2 fields with large gas capacity, potentially undermining those efforts.

Iraq, OPEC's second-largest oil manufacturer behind Saudi Arabia, has been hindered in its oil sector development by contract terms considered as unfavourable by numerous major oil companies in addition to recurring military conflict and growing investor focus on ecological, social and governance requirements.