Two months after the region saw a terminal upgrade deal, the British Navy has been drafted in to protect Iraqs southern oil export terminals.
Iraqs parliament signed an agreement allowing up to 100 British Royal Navy Trainers to return for up to a year to assist the nation in protecting its vital oil terminals.
Initially the British security pact failed to pass during parliamentary sessions in July because of opposition from some politicians, who reject any foreign troop presence in Iraq.
In August, Iraqs South Oil let a project management contract to AOC Holdings subsidiary Japan Oil Engineering (JOE) for a front-end engineering and design (FEED) to restore and upgrade southern Iraq's Fao export oil terminal.
Under the contract valued at ¥3 billion (22.2 million), JOE and Yachiyo Engineering will help South Oil design pipelines to connect a land-based oil storage facility with two sea-based shipping terminals 50 km off Basra in the Persian Gulf.
Most of Iraq's 2 million barrels a day of oil exports are shipped through the two oil terminals off Basra, where Iraq also faces problems with oil smugglers, and border disputes with Iran.
