Halliburton said that it has been awarded a contract by ExxonMobil Iraq to provide drilling services for 15 wells in the West Qurna oil field in southern Iraq.

Halliburton will provide a complete range of construction services using three drilling rigs to deliver the wells in the first phase of the West Qurna project, said Joe Rainey, president of Halliburton's Eastern Hemisphere operations.

The company gave no financial details of the contract.

Last month, ExxonMobil Iraq, a unit of global oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp, said production from its West Qurna I oil field rose to 285,000 barrels per day, above the 10 per cent target set under technical services contract.

ExxonMobil Iraq is the lead contractor with 60 per cent interest working with South Oil Company of Iraq. Co-developers of West Qurna I include Oil Exploration Company of Iraq with a 25 per cent interest. Shell West Qurna, and a Royal Dutch Shell affiliate hold 15 per cent interest.-Reuters