According to the Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations announces the design/build construction award for a new U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, to B.L. Harbert, International of Birmingham, Alabama. The new Embassy will facilitate efforts to assist Kosovo in its progress as an independent and prosperous state in Europe.

Located on a 12-acre site in central Pristina, the project will provide a new chancery building, a U.S. Marine Corps residence, a support annex and utility building, and community facilities. Project completion is anticipated in fiscal year 2017.

Iraq has approved a $278 million drilling deal with Halliburton for the southern West Qurna- 1 oilfield. Under the 30-month contract, Halliburton is to drill 30 oil wells in the 8.7-billion-barrel West Qurna Phase One field. Oil production at the West Qurna-1 field is running at a rate of 360,000 barrels per day due to problems with low levels of water injection, which is needed to boost production.

The field is currently operated by Exxon Mobil. Iraq has awarded lucrative oilfield development contracts to majors such as Royal Dutch Shell, BP and Exxon Mobil with the ambitious target of expanding its oil production capacity to 8.5-9 million bpd by 2017.