Iraq sends forces to disputed field

Iraq has deployed security forces to its southern border with Iran to monitor a disputed oil well seized by Iranian troops.

Iraqi authorities sent army and police forces to a staging ground about 1km from the well in the Fauqa oil field in southern Maysan province on Saturday, The Associated Press news agency reported, citing officials.

Baghdad says Iranian troops crossed the border into Iraqi territory a day earlier, taking control of well Number 4 and raising an Iranian flag.

The Iraqi government demanded that “Tehran pull back the armed men who occupied well Number 4″, and condemned the incident as “a violation of Iraqi sovereignty”.

But Iran has denied that it had violated Iraq’s sovereignty.

Iran’s Armed Forces Command issued a statement on Saturday making clear that, in Tehran’s view, there had been no incursion into Iraq as the oil well is within Iranian borders.

“Our forces are on our own soil and, based on the known international borders, this well belongs to Iran,” the statement said.

Well 4 is in the al-Fauqa Field, part of a cluster of oilfields which Iraq unsuccessfully put up for auction to oil majors in June. The field has estimated reserves of 1.55 million barrels.

Al-Jazeera