BAGHDAD, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Wednesday met with the visiting chief executive of British Petroleum (BP) group over the company's plans to develop oil fields in Iraq.
According to a statement by the prime minister's office, Abdul Mahdi and Robert Dudley discussed "means to develop current projects implemented by BP and the company's future plans in Iraq."
"Abdul Mahdi welcomed BP's desire to develop oil fields in Iraq, and the ongoing talks between the group and Iraq's oil ministry to boost cooperation aimed at revitalizing the Iraqi economy," said Abdul Mahdi during the meeting.
For his part, Dudley confirmed his company's desire to work in Iraq and expressed his admiration of Iraq's efforts to achieve stability and develop its economy.
The British energy giant BP has a long history of oil exploration and production in Iraq, which dates back to 1920s when the company helped Iraq locate, produce and export oil from Baba Gurgur oil field in the northern province of Kirkuk.
In 2009, BP became the first international oil company to return to Iraq after 35 years.
Iraqi economy relies heavily on crude oil exports, which account for more than 90 percent of the country's revenues.
In 2017, Iraq announced that its proven oil reserves increased to 153 billion barrels from a previously estimated 143.1 billion barrels.
