Iraqi Drilling Company moves IDC-51 rig from Zubair to East Baghdad field

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's state-owned Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC) has relocated its IDC-51 drilling rig from the Zubair oil field in the southern city of Basra to the East Baghdad field south of the capital, the company announced. IDC said the redeployment is intended to expand drilling capacity in its Baghdad operations and that work on wells in the Baghdad South field will continue on its planned schedule. Company officials said the transfer was carried out under the supervision of technical teams and that the rig will be commissioned at its new location in the near term. IDC added that drilling programs across other Iraqi fields are progressing as planned and that remaining equipment at Zubair remains in operation. The company described the move as part of efforts to strengthen the country's oil production infrastructure and to balance activity between different fields. No further operational details were provided.