Thamir Ghadhban

Thamir Ghadhban ( _ar. ثامر غضبان) (Karbala, 1945) is an Iraqi bureaucrat and politician, specialising in the oil industry. After the war in 2003 he became Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Oil [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400EFD8143CF930A35756C0A9659C8B63] [http://www.mees.com/postedarticles/oped/a46n43d01.htm] [http://www.iraqrevenuewatch.org/faq/] , and in mid of the following year he served as Interim Oil Minister in the interim government headed by interim prime minister Iyad Allawi [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1142368.htm] . In 2005 he became a Parliament member and the head of one of the six committees in charge of writing chapter four: Powers of the Federal Authorities in the permanent constitution [http://www.na-iraqi.com/index.php?cmd=view&id=2239] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Iraq#Chapter_Four:_Powers_of_the_Federal_Authorities] . In late April 2006, there was strong speculation that he would again be appointed Minister of Oil, this time by the government of Nuri al-Maliki [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1635694.htm] . Currently he is the Chairman of the prime minister's advisors committee [http://www.spe.org/spe-site/spe/spe/jpt/2008/01/2QA.pdf] and one of three technocrats to draft Iraq's much debated oil law, which is still waiting to be approved by the parliament [http://www.spe.org/spe-app/spe/jpt/2008/01/index.htm] .

Education
BSc. in geology from University College, London, in 1970 and MSc. in petroleum reservoir engineering fromImperial College, London, in 1973.

Professional career
- Joined Basrah Petroleum Company (BPC) in 1973 and moved to Iraq National Oil Company (INOC) in 1989.
- At BPC worked in petroleum and reservoir engineering on oil fields in the south of the country, and then became head of the Petroleum and Reservoir Engineering department for several years until 1989.
- 1989-90: Director General of Reservoir and Field Development at the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
- 1991-92: Director General of Planning and Studies at the Oil Ministry.
- 1993-2001: Technical advisor to the Oil Ministry. During this period, ran numerous specialist committees responsible for conducting studies and producing plans, as well as committees negotiating with international oil companies for oil development or other projects.
- 2002-April 2003: Director General of Planning at the Oil Ministry.
- From 3 May 2003: Chief Executive Officer of the Oil Ministry.
- June 2004-May 2005: Minister of Petroleum.
- 30 January 2005: Elected to the National Assembly.
- Currently, Chairman of a committee that advises the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr. Nouri al-Maliki.

Studies and reports
Author or co-author of more than 50 studies, reports or technical papers, as well as numerous papers and presentations on different aspects of the Iraqi oil industry delivered on the occasion of international oil and gas conferences.
In 2000 OAPEC granted Thamir Abbas Ghadhban its Distinguished Science Award.