Deal with Saddam means China could get first foreign contract to develop Iraq oil field

Iraq could hand China the first for­eign con­tract to develop its vast oil resources if Bei­jing agrees to put into effect a deal orig­i­nally signed with Sad­dam Hus­sein, Iraq’s Oil Min­istry said yes­ter­day. While U.S. oil majors, excluded from Iraq before the U.S. inva­sion in 2003, wait for Iraq to pass new laws on the sec­tor before invest­ing, Oil Min­is­ter Hus­sain al-Shahristani will visit China, Japan and Aus­tralia shortly to dis­cuss projects and devel­op­ing exports

Deal with Sad­dam means China could get first for­eign con­tract to develop Iraq oil field