Lukoil cancels Iraq oil field tender

9 July 2025

 

Russia’s Lukoil has cancelled the tender for a project to develop the Eridu oil field in Block 10 in Iraq, according to information first obtained by the regional projects tracker MEED Projects.

The project is estimated to be worth between $300m and $450m.

It is understood that Lukoil plans to retender the project before the end of this year.

In March 2023, Lukoil and Japan’s Inpex received approval from Iraqi state-owned Thi-Qar Oil Company to develop the Eridu oil field.

Lukoil and Inpex were 60:40 stakeholders in the Eridu oil field and issued an invitation to contractors to bid for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract.

The partners had planned to execute a project that would deliver 250,000 barrels a day (b/d) of crude from the field.

MEED reported in September last year that a subsidiary of China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) had completed the feed work on the project.

Inpex reportedly sold its stake in Eridu to Lukoil in November 2023, thereby exiting the Iraqi oil and gas sector.

Block 10 concession

Geological exploration at Block 10 started in 2012. Since then, two- and three-dimensional seismic surveys have been carried out. Additionally, three exploration wells and six appraisal wells have been drilled.

The exploration activities led to the discovery of the Eridu oil field, which has estimated reserves of 12.9 billion barrels.

The field, sometimes referred to as the Arido oil field, is one of the largest petroleum discoveries in Iraq over the past 20 years.

Previously, production from the field was expected to reach 30,000 b/d in 2025, according to Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghanni, who spoke at a ceremony on 6 March 2023.

Block 10 covers an area of 5,500 square kilometres and is 120 kilometres west of Basra.

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Wil Crisp
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