Today another group of Iraqi specialists started their training at the educational institutions and LUKOIL’s enterprises in Russia.

Staff members of the business units of the Iraqi Oil Ministry will undergo advanced training at LUKOIL-Perm and a number of other companies of LUKOIL in the Perm Region, at Eurasia-Perm Drilling Company, as well as the Oil and Gas Institute of the Perm State Technical University and the Gubkin Russian State Oil and Gas University in Moscow. LUKOIL Overseas finances the traineeship.

The group includes young (35 years old on an average) highly qualified and promising Iraqi engineers who can speak English and have higher education and work experience in the oil industry. The total period of their traineeship will be 11 months including the summer vacation.

In 2004, with the support of LUKOIL 59 oil workers from Iraq improved their skills, 177 persons in 2005, 146 persons in 2006 and 140 oilmen in 2007. Moreover, 50 Iraqi students are currently attending day classes at Gubkin Russian State Oil and Gas University and Ufa State Oil and Gas Technical University under LUKOIL-sponsored scholarships. 36 citizens of Iraq have successfully completed their training at universities and have received diplomas of higher education.

The traineeship of experts and students from Iraq is conducted in compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation signed between LUKOIL and the Ministry of Oil of Iraq in March 2004.