The Independent has been doing a thorough job of reporting on the maneuvering of the big-oil companies in Iraq.
The latest report is of the "Technical Services Agreement" (TSA) contracts to be signed before the end of June. These agreements, between Big Oil and the Baghdad government, will be the first to be signed since the American-led invasion in 2003, and will front-run the controversial the Hydrocarbon law discussions (the "Production-Sharing Agreements" or PSAs) which have been stymied for the past 5 years.
http://www.independent.co.uk/...
These TSA's will give Big Oil a foothold in these vast fields, according to the article. Apparently, there has been enough stability created by "the surge" to encourage the publically traded oil companies to create contracts with the Iraqi government.
The Iraqi oil fields, until any new Hydrocarbon law is adopted (expected next month), are still under national control. This nationalization, in place since 1972, is one of the few popularly-supported consequences of Saddam Hussein's regime.
(I didn't see this diaried here, and will delete if any of regular petroleum diarists have better insight.)