Azerbaijan, Baku, September 6 /Trend, A.Taghiyeva/
Around 12 foreign companies applied to Iraq's Oil Ministry interested in participating in the tender for the construction of an oil pipeline to Jordan, according to a message from Iraq's Oil Ministry posted on its official website on Thursday.
According to the message, the companies submitted their own projects for construction of $18 billion worth of oil pipeline to the ministry. Construction of the pipeline resulting in oil being pumped from Iraq to Jordan must be completed in 2017.
The companies which submitted applications for participation in the tender are: Korean Daewoo International, Russian Lukoil and Orascom PETROJET Joint Venture amongst others.
It was earlier reported that the project for construction of the oil pipeline will be implemented by one contractor over the two countries. The winning company will work on the scheme 'construction-development-transfer of ownership rights of the oil pipeline'.
Iraq and Jordan agreed to build a new oil pipeline at the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Jordan in December last year.
It will be constructed from Iraq to the Jordanian port of Aqaba for the further transportation of Iraqi oil to the world market. The construction of a new oil pipeline will put an end to oil transportation from Iraq to Jordan by tanks.
In August 2013, Iraq increased its oil exports up to 79.8 million barrels compared to 78 million barrels in July exporting on average 2.57 million barrels of oil per day.
Average oil production reached 3.4 million barrels per day in Iraq in August 2013 compared to 3.2 million barrels per day in July.