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In a further boost for Iraq's oil and gas develoment prospects, Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) is acquiring a 15% interest in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited (BP ECKL), which is redeveloping several major oil and gas fields in the promising Kirkuk region of northern Iraq

Signed during the official visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to Türkiye, the move builds on the strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by bp and Türkiye's national oil company in February 2026, and follows ConocoPhillips' recent acquisition of a 42% interest in BP ECKL. The two acquisitions bring together partners with complementary capabilities and expertise together with bp to support the next phase of redevelopment in Kirkuk. Following completion of the transaction, bp will remain the majority shareholder in BP ECKL with 43%.

Vast potential

Kirkuk, once among the most prolific regions globally, has vast potential, with a combined resource opportunity estimated at up to 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

bp received final government ratification for its contract to invest in the redevelopment of several giant oil fields in Kirkuk in March 2025, when bp said the investment will bring opportunity and growth to the Kirkuk region, as well as improving supply chain capability alongside job creation. Then bp executive vice president William Lin commented that the opportunity is fully in line with the company’s priority of pursuing new growth opportunities for bp as it strengthens and high-grades its portfolio across the world.

The contract between North Oil Company (NOC), North Gas Company (NGC) and bp includes the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the fields alongside investment in existing gas processing facilities, spanning oil, gas, power and water with potential for investment in exploration.

The Development and Production Contract covers an initial phase of oil and gas production of more than 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent from the Baba and Avanah domes of the Kirkuk oil field and the adjacent Bai Hassan, Jambur and Khabbaz fields in Federal Iraq, all currently operated by the North Oil Company (NOC) and North Gas Company (NGC). The contract area also includes additional exploration potential.

bp is drawing on its experience elsewhere in Iraq in developing Kirkuk, notably at the supergiant Rumaila field in southern Iraq, where with its partners it has helped to deliver a 40% increase in production since 2010. bp says it aims to grow a similar, modern upstream oil and gas industry centred around Kirkuk, bringing in technologies that transformed operations at Rumaila, such as real-time monitoring and digital surveillance. These can help to optimise well performance, predict and avert production issues, and facilitate data-driven decision making.

Chief executive officer Meg O’Neill said, “TPAO has been a trusted partner for more than 30 years through our work together across the Caspian region. This agreement builds on that long-standing relationship and, alongside our partnership with ConocoPhillips, positions us strongly for the next phase of redevelopment in Kirkuk. Kirkuk is a world-class resource base that can support Iraq's long-term energy ambitions, and we look forward to working closely with the Government of Iraq and our partners to deliver the next phase of redevelopment."

bp has a longstanding relationship with Iraq spanning more than a century with an involvement in both the north and south of the country. bp’s predecessor helped ‎Iraq to locate, produce and export oil from Baba Gurgur in Kirkuk, one of the largest oilfields ‎in the world at that time.

Oceaneering International has announced that its Integrity Management and Digital Solutions (IMDS) segment has been awarded a five-year inspection and asset integrity services contract by a Qatar-based oil company

The contract followed a competitive tender process and reinforces Oceaneering’s role in providing integrity management services in Qatar after operating in the country for more than 20 years.

Asset integrity challenges

Operators in the Middle East face multiple asset integrity challenges due to the high pressure, high temperature environment, the presence of H2S in sour gas which can accelerate corrosion and equipment degradation, and high production demands.

Furthermore, a growing share of oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf is operating beyond its intended design life. New research from Integrated Global Services (IGS) found that 46% of operators report up to half of their assets are running beyond design life, raising reliability concerns as regional disruption linked to the Strait of Hormuz places additional strain on facilities.

Effective asset integrity management (AIM) strategies are therefore critical for safe and reliable operations, as well as to ensure compliance.

Under the contract, Oceaneering will deliver non-destructive testing, inspection services and value engineering, utilising its established local workforce and leveraging Inform, its digital inspection software. The scope may also include deploying Vision, a data visualisation platform.

What are the benefits of digital asset management?

Digital Asset Management combines engineering intelligence and 3D visualisation to maintain asset integrity, reduce risk, and improve decision making. By centralising inspection data and adding 3D visualisation, operators can identify anomalies earlier, plan maintenance proactively, and reduce unplanned downtime with better scheduling and resource use.
Inform is a modular Integrity Data Management System (IDMS) platform that digitises inspection workflows, centralises anomaly and risk data, and transforms it into actionable insights.

While Vision is a 3D visualisation platform that creates engineering grade models of topside and subsea assets for reliable comparison, anomaly tracking, and condition assessment over time. It is delivered as a cloud only application.

Together they create a living digital twin, one connected platform that unifies every record and model for integrity management. Operators can easily locate relevant documentation, allowing faster maintenance and integrity decisions while maintaining a complete audit trail.

Leo Granato, senior vice president of IMDS, said, “This award underscores our ability to deliver reliable, digitally enabled integrity solutions that enhance production reliability and asset uptime while supporting regulatory compliance. Our established team in Qatar enables safe and consistent execution of our innovative solutions, while deepening the development of local talent.”

At the S&P Global Energy Middle East Petroleum & Gas Conference (MPGC) held in London, Musaab Al Mulla, Aramco's vice president of market analysis and sustainability, underlined the need for the recognition of the role refined products play in resilient energy systems, which has been brought into sharp focus in the current crisis

Al Mulla highlighted the need for a realistic approach to the role of oil and gas as the engine for economic growth and the impact of the crisis on products ranging from helium to materials and fertilisers, with shortages of the latter in turn impacting food supply.

A common theme of the event was the need for resilience and redundancy in the energy system to be able to weather such crises. Al Mulla highlighted Aramco’s focus on long-term strategic planning and investment for the future, as exemplified by its investment in the east-west pipeline which is now not only transporting crude but also products, building flexibility into the system, transporting crude to refineries for export and ensuring refined products get to market.

“The world has realised the need for more investment in pipeline infrastructure and domestic refining to ensure industry is working together,” he said.

He remarked that the crisis has demonstrated demand is resilient and has exposed the underinvestment in refineries, with capital flows being redirected towards the energy transition and resulting in a deficit of 3mn bpd.

“We need to build refineries and infrastructure while also reducing emissions,” he said, noting that Aramco has one of the lowest emissions intensities.

Discussing demand for refined products, he noted that demand for jet fuel continues to grow and refinery utilisation is at record rates.

“We believe demand will continue to be resilient, and low carbon products will be important as well,” he said.

He foresaw strong growth in chemicals with the market for durable materials growing in multiple sectors, noting that carbon-based materials can help reduce emissions. Replacing steel with polypropylene in cars can reduce emissions by 80%, for example. He also highlighted growth in demand for low carbon aviation fuel (lcaf), fossil-based jet fuel, which is 10% lower in emissions than conventional jet fuel, and complements sustainable aviation fuel (saf) as it addresses some of its limitations.

Highlighting the continuing long-term strategic importance of refining, he stressed that gasolene will still account for a significant proportion of transportation fuel by 2050.

With resilience, reliability and sustainability being global challenges, Al Mulla said that resilience for Aramco means building on operational excellence, long-term investment in oil and gas, new energies and low carbon, and localisation, noting Aramco’s 70% localisation target to ensure a resilient supply chain.

“Resilience is correlated with sustainability, you can’t be sustainable if you are not resilient,” he said. It involves not only having the flexibility to be able to adapt to shocks, but also having the capacity to innovate and grow supply while also reducing emissions, he added.

Commenting on the Middle East’s attractiveness as an investment destination, he said, “Clearly the region remains the hub for oil and gas petrochemicals and refining, and it has shown its infrastructure and energy system have been resilient in this historic crisis.”

He said Aramco is also looking at other regions, and urged the need for more investor-friendly policies in Europe, where there is a need for more domestic refining and chemicals so as not to be dependent on other regions.

Discussing the role of gas, Al Mulla said there will be increasing demand to fulfil the growing demand for power from data centres, highlighting the move towards regional data centres.

CorrosionRADAR has launched its CR:SR sensor solution, a new short-range sensor technology that expands its corrosion under insulation (CUI) intelligence portfolio and helps to transform CUI management from a reactive inspection activity into a proactive intelligence-led approach

The corrosion threat

Corrosion is an ever-present threat to asset integrity in the oil and gas industry, with industry studies estimating the global cost of corrosion exceeds $2.5 trillion annually. In the Middle East, the prevalence of sour gas, the increasing use of corrosive chemicals to enhance production and the push into high pressure, high temperature environments means that the corrosion threat is only intensifying in the region.
CUI, which is a particularly insidious form of corrosion as it is difficult to detect at an early stage, occurs due to moisture build up on the external surface of insulated equipment and structures, and is prevalent in the onshore and offshore oil and gas industries.

The benefits of predictive corrosion monitoring

Predictive corrosion monitoring solutions facilitated by advances in AI and digital technologies can help operators proactively manage their corrosion challenges and protect their assets, allowing them to monitor and predict risk remotely and make data-driven decisions, saving time and money, while enhancing safety and ensuring the longevity of critical infrastructure.

CorrosionRADAR is using this approach to transform CUI management with continuous monitoring and intelligence-based analytics that save time, improve uptime and reduce the risk of catastrophic failures.
Aramco for example is using CorrosionRADAR's CUI monitoring solution at its Ju'aymah NFL fractionation plant to monitor its assets and provide insights into the early and predictive detection of CUI, enabling plant engineers to address CUI issues more rapidly, improving safety and reliability, optimising inspection planning, and reducing the overall costs associated with future maintenance and shutdowns.

Remote sensor-enabled CUI monitoring programs help operators focus resources on the locations that matter most while reducing unnecessary inspection costs and operational disruption.

The new shortwave CR:SR sensor solution has been developed for targeted, localised monitoring without the need to remove insulation. It complements CorrosionRADAR’s existing CR:LR solution, which delivers permanently installed, long-range monitoring across vessels, columns, tanks, and other complex assets.

The sensor passes monitoring data to the AI-informed CR:CLARITY software for consolidation, analysis and reporting.

Together, the CR:LR and CR:SR sensors address the challenges of traditional inspection programmes by providing continuous visibility between inspection campaigns. CUI data is constantly collected and analysed by the CR:CLARITY software, enabling operators to prioritise inspection activity based on changing risk conditions rather than fixed inspection intervals.

Dr. Chiraz Ennaceur, chief executive officer at CorrosionRADAR, said, "At CorrosionRADAR, we recognise that every asset presents a different CUI challenge. Some assets require broad coverage across large areas, while others benefit from targeted monitoring of specific high-risk locations. By expanding our portfolio to include the CR:SR sensor solution and bringing all monitoring data together through CR:CLARITY, operators gain greater flexibility in how they monitor CUI while maintaining a single view of risk across their assets."

By combining multiple monitoring strategies through a single source of CUI intelligence, CorrosionRADAR aims to help operators move towards predictive, prescriptive, and ultimately more autonomous asset integrity management.

Oil Review Middle East, in association with Flyability is hosting a webinar on “NDT drones for the oil and gas industry: from innovation to implementation" on Tuesday 14 July at 2pm GST

The oil and gas industry continues to face increasing pressure to improve safety, reduce operational downtime and enhance inspection efficiency. Increasingly, operators are deploying drone technology to improve inspection quality, enhance safety and drive greater operational efficiency across oil and gas assets, discovering new ways to conduct inspections in hazardous and confined spaces while minimising risks to personnel.

This practical session will explore how drone technology is being used to perform remote NDT inspections, collect critical asset data and create digital twins that support more effective asset integrity management. Through real-world case studies and industry experience, attendees will gain valuable insights into implementing drone solutions within their own operations.

Register here

Key highlights

• Visual inspections: Learn how drone technology is improving access to difficult and hazardous inspection environments
• Remote NDT applications: Explore the use of UT spot measurements and other remote inspection capabilities
• Digital twins: Understand how digital asset models are supporting integrity monitoring and maintenance planning
• Industry success stories: Hear practical examples from asset owners and service providers successfully utilising drone technology
• Implementation strategies: Gain insights into integrating drone-based inspections into existing operational workflows.

Our expert speakers:

• Fabio Fata, senior sales manager, Flyability
• Senan Khatib, certified AUV pilot/instructor and UAV field specialist Sagerdrone
• Abdullah Al-Rahmah, head of UAV team, Saudi Aramco
• Jacob Swidy, head of inspection technology and digital transformation, Saudi Aramco

Don’t miss this opportunity to take away exclusive insights from the leading lights of the drone technology world!
Register here

The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global production and trade in hydrogen-based products such as fertilisers, fuels and industrial feedstocks, exposing vulnerabilities in supply chains, according to the latest edition of the IEA’s Global Hydrogen Review

The report finds that the crisis and the increased focus on energy security are renewing interest in hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels, although low-emissions hydrogen remains at a relatively small scale.

Demand for hydrogen worldwide surpassed 100 million tonnes in 2025, according to the report, while production of low-emissions hydrogen grew by 20% to almost 1 million tonnes. However, persistent barriers including high costs, uncertain demand, complex regulations and a lack of infrastructure continue to slow the development of low-emissions hydrogen, putting 2030 targets announced by governments increasingly out of reach.

"The current crisis has highlighted how deeply economies around the world depend on trade in hydrogen-based products and the significant role of the Middle East in those supply chains," said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. "Countries are looking for ways to make their energy systems more resilient and diversified. Low-emissions hydrogen can play an important role in those efforts over time, but stronger policy support and much faster deployment will be needed before it can make a meaningful contribution at scale."

Fertiliser markets have been particularly affected by the conflict in the Middle East, which is home to around one-sixth of global hydrogen production, the majority dedicated to the production of chemicals, fertilisers and refined oil products. The region accounts for more than 10% of global refining capacity, ammonia and urea production, and close to 17% of methanol production.

The region makes up over one-quarter of global trade in ammonia, almost 40% of urea trade and almost 45% of methanol trade, and one-third of its refining capacity is export-oriented. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has severely disrupted the supply of all these products. The production of hydrogen-based fuels outside the Middle East has also been affected, particularly in Asia, where countries are very dependent on natural gas imports from the Middle East.

Disruptions to production, exports and shipping routes have contributed to shortages and price volatility across global markets with the increase in fertiliser costs posing risks for food supply chains, especially in import-dependent agricultural economies.

Low-emissions hydrogen

Low-emissions hydrogen production grew by 20% in 2025 to reach almost 1 Mt and is set to exceed 1% of global hydrogen production for the first time, but progress is concentrated in a small number of projects. However investment momentum weakened in 2025, with delays to final investment decisions and a shrinking pipeline of projects highlighting the challenges facing the sector.

Despite continued policy support in some markets, low-emissions hydrogen and hydrogen-based products remain significantly more expensive than conventional alternatives in most markets. The pipeline of announced projects for producing low-emissions hydrogen by 2030 has shrunk by around a quarter since last year to 27 million tonnes due to delays and cancellations, and the number of projects likely to become operational by 2030 has fallen significantly.

Demand uncertainty remains a key constraint for scaling up low-emissions hydrogen development, with offtake agreements at low level. This is cited by developers as one of the largest barriers to investment.