Heritage Oil – from Africa to Iraq

Canada’s Heritage Oil and Gas signed a deal yesterday to begin oil petroleum exploration in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Micael Gulbenkian, Chairman and CEO of Heritage, said, "We are delighted
that the Government of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, Iraq has selected
KPC to undertake this field study in what is considered to be one of its most
prospective exploration regions. Heritage and KPC view this opportunity as the
first step on what is anticipated to be a long-term path for future
collaborations with the Government to develop hydrocarbon resources in this
territory." (Heritage Oil press release)

Gulbenkian belongs to a famous oil dynasty whose founder was involved in the colonial era Iraq Petroeum Company.

However, the really interesting figure at Heritage Oil is founder and director Anthony Buckingham, who was intimately involved in the rise of so-called ‘Private Military Companies’ Executive Outcomes and Sandline in Africa in the 1990s, whose activities were often intertwined with mineral interests such as oil in Angola, or diamonds in Sierra Leone.

Buckingham will be at home in Iraq, where former Sandline boss Tim Spicer heads one of the largest PMCs, Aegis Defence Services.