Iraqi oil minister asks BP to develop Kirkuk oilfields, oil ministry says

Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi has asked BP (BP.L) ''to quickly make plans to develop the Kirkuk oifields,'' an oil ministry statement said on Wednesday.

Iraqi government forces on Monday took control of the oil-rich region of Kirkuk from Kurdish peshmerga fighters who had occupied the area in 2-14, in the course of the war on Islamic State.

BP says on its website it has provided technical assistance in the past to the Iraqi state-owned North Oil Company to aid the redevelopment of the Kirkuk field.

Kirkuk is estimated to have around 9 billion barrels of recoverable oil remaining, according to BP.

(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli. Editing by Jane Merriman)