中国表示，与伊拉克的石油服务协议还没有最后敲定，与伊拉克官员上星期的说法有出入。中国外交部今天(星期四)说，有关开发伊拉克首都巴格达以南阿赫代布油田协议与巴格达的谈判还在继续。
这将是萨达姆.侯塞因2003年倒台以来，伊拉克与外国石油公司之间达成的最大一宗合同，总金额可能达30亿美元，时限为20年。
伊拉克说，根据协议，将向中国公司支付一笔定额现金，这也是可能是将来签订同类合同的模式。在有些合同中，石油生产国的支付方式是让石油公司保留部分开采出来的石油。
伊拉克是世界上探明石油储备最丰富的国家之一。石油是经济的重要组成部分。
China says an oil services deal with Iraq is not yet complete, contradicting reports last week by Iraqi officials. China's Foreign Ministry said today (Thursday) that negotiations with Baghdad continue on a deal to develop the Adhab oil field south of the capital city.
This would be the first major contract between Iraq and a foreign oil firm since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The deal could be worth three billion dollars over the next 20 years.
Iraq says the agreement would give the company a set fee in cash, and may set a pattern for future deals. In some other cases oil-producing nations pay oil firms by allowing them to keep a portion of the oil the company pumps.
Iraq's proven oil reserves are among the largest in the world, and oil is a vital part of the economy.
