No Arab oil industry has witnessed the difficulties and challenges facing the oil sector in Iraq over the past 25 years, especially during the past five years of occupation. Currently, a battle is raging for political control over Basra, Iraq's only marine gateway, its second largest city, and the source of almost 90% of its oil reserves which currently account for two million barrels a day. This is not to mention three huge oil fields with production capacity of over two million barrels a day that have been explored but not developed yet. These are the Majnoun field, the Gharb al-Qurna field, and Nahr bin Omar field. This battle will represent decisive turning point in the modern history of Basra and in the history and future of Iraq's oil industry.


... Since the occupation in 2003, Iraq's oil constructions in Basra have been plagued by plundering, robbery, smuggling and sabotage along with the rest of the country's industrial sector. Entire plants were robbed, scrapped down piece by piece, especially the Karma purification plant whose production capacity had reached almost 130,000 barrels a day. As a result, water injection in many of the southern oil fields was halted for a long period, leading to a decline in oil production as a result of weak pressure. As the militias wreaked havoc in the streets and neighborhoods of Basra over the past five years and with the growing power of Iranian intelligence, many Iraqi engineers and oil experts left overseas to preserve their lives and families, especially after the assassination of almost 100 Iraqi engineers and oil experts since the occupation, not to mention the abduction of dozens others, some whose fate still remains unknown.