Iraq has selected five additional international oil companies to bid for the development of its Nassiriya oil field and the construction of a new 300,000 barrels per day refinery, the oil ministry said.

The project is part of plans to expand the country's downstream operations. In March, seven companies were selected to bid in an auction planned to be held in December this year. .

The companies added to the list are France's Maurel et Prom , Russia's Rosneft, Essar UAE India, South Korea's GS Engineering & Construction Corp. and India's ONGC Bangalore, the statement said. – Reuters