Understanding the complex structural history of the Zagros is key to unlocking the potential of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Buraimi: The Struggle for Power, Influence and Oil in Arabia, Michael Quentin Morton. I.B. Taurus (2013)

With Iranian export sanctions about to be lifted, what effect will this potential influx of hydrocarbons have on the already pressurised price of oil?

Libya turns on the taps – but for how long?

Knowledgeable but squabbling geologists; summary dismissals; camel transport; ‘lagoonal’ oil; and 40m-high gushers. All in a day’s work for the first oil explorers in Iraq.

Contrary to many people’s expectations, Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, is a peaceful, busy and surprisingly modern city, with a history that stretches back over 7,000 years.

The giant Kirkuk field, discovered in 1927, has had a very chequered history and requires imaginative reservoir engineering methods to return it to optimum productivity.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in January 2015, had effectively ruled Saudi Arabia since 1996. During that time he introduced some tentative reforms but basically continued the 'status quo'. So what can we expect from his successor, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?

What has happened in recent years in the Caspian region, how has it changed – and what is preventing companies from operating here?

A comprehensive, up-to-date appraisal of the reservoir rocks, source rocks, seals and traps that control Iraq’s petroleum resources is reviewed by Munim Al-Rawi, an expert in the regional petroleum geology of the Middle East.

Despite a long exploration history, only two producing fields have been found in Jordan, yet it has proven petroleum systems and reserves of both shale oil and gas. We look at the potential within this long-neglected Middle Eastern country.

Recent developments in permanent downhole monitoring provide accurate and stable measurements even in extreme high pressure/high temperature reservoir conditions. The integration of multiple measurements as they happen allows operators to make field decisions for production and reservoir management.

“Muscat is a port the like of which cannot be found in the whole world.” – Arab navigator Ahmed bin Majid al-Najdi, 1490