For Oil Contracts, a Question of Motive - Peter Goodman, New York Times

For Oil Contracts, a Question of Motive - Peter Goodman, New York Times

The question hanging over Iraq is whether its natural endowment will be used to help create a sustainable new state, or will instead be managed in ways that reward the cronies and allies of the country whose army toppled Mr. Hussein. Or perhaps both at the same time. That basic question was yanked back to the fore recently when word emerged from Baghdad, in a report in The New York Times, that the Iraqi oil ministry was close to awarding contracts to service its oil fields to some of the largest Western oil companies. While relatively small, these contracts could serve as a foot in the door for much more lucrative licenses to explore widely for Iraqi oil. Some 40 companies from around the world had jockeyed for the contracts, but they were being awarded without competitive bids, the report said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/weekinreview/29good.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin