Iraq to monitor oil pipelines with drones as security measure

Iraq plans to use drones to monitor and protect its export and production pipelines in the first quarter of 2018, an oil ministry spokesman said on Monday.

Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi has asked the ministry to seek out professional security companies that can supply Iraq with drones and sophisticated camera systems to protect its pipelines, spokesman Asim Jihad said.

Luaibi will be visiting Algeria in mid-January and meeting with his counterpart there, as well as visiting state-run Sonatrach, which is interested in investing in Iraq's energy sector, Jihad added.