Baghdad – WAA
The Ministry of Oil confirmed, on Monday, that the Basra-Haditha pipeline project aims to achieve high flexibility in the process of transporting crude oil, while renewing its denial of the statements of Representative Amer Abdul Jabbar regarding the cost, ownership or privileges that Iraq grants to neighboring countries of crude oil and other inaccurate information.
The ministry said in a statement received by the (INA): “It is surprised by the insistence of some political figures and individuals to continue misleading public opinion, by exploiting some media outlets, news websites and social media, to distort the facts with premeditation, which harms the public interest.”
“In response to the inaccurate and misleading information contained in the statements of Mr. Amer Abdul Jabbar, a member of the House of Representatives, regarding the crude oil pipeline (Basra – Haditha), the Ministry of Oil would like to clarify that the information contained in his repeated statements via the media lacks accuracy and objectivity, whether regarding the cost or ownership, or the employment of workers from neighboring countries, or projects related to the project, and other irresponsible talk towards the ministry and the project,” she added, indicating that “the representative was supposed to update his information by inquiring from the ministry, or reviewing the data issued by the Oil Projects Company recently, which are the two parties concerned with the matter, and published in the media and the ministry’s website, which aims to reach the truth and serve the interests of Iraq and its people.”
She stressed that “the crude oil pipeline project (Basra-Haditha) aims to achieve high flexibility in the process of transporting crude oil for the purposes of equipping refineries, warehouses and power stations inside Iraq, and it is among the priorities of the ministry’s plans and the government program, in addition to future projects that aim to enhance export outlets through neighboring countries (Turkey, Syria and Jordan, including the development road project, which is currently under preparation and study), explaining that “no decisions have been taken regarding it.”
She stated that “we have previously explained that the crude oil pipeline project will be implemented by the national effort in the Oil Projects Company, in cooperation with the General Company for Iron and Steel in the Ministry of Industry and Minerals,” renewing her denial of “Amer Abdul Jabbar’s statements regarding the cost, ownership, or privileges that Iraq grants to neighboring countries of crude oil and other inaccurate information.”
The ministry rejected “all statements and allegations in this regard, because they represent harm to the public interest,” noting that it “reserves its legal right to respond to the abuses it is subjected to.”
The ministry expressed its hope that “all parties, individuals and media outlets will exercise accuracy, objectivity and professional integrity in publishing and circulating information, and adopt official statements issued by the ministry, in the service of the public interest.”