Egypt’s agreement with Iraq to import 1mn barrels of oil per month is still valid and was not a replacement for the Saudi Aramco deal, Petroleum Minister, Tarek Al Molla said. The agreement stipulates supplying Egypt with 1mn barrels a month of crude oil in a one-year contract that is renewable annually. CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Authority (EGPA), Tarek Al-Hadidi, said the first shipment of Iraqi crude oil is scheduled in March, while other sources at the Ministry reported that the deal would rather take effect by mid-April at most. Al-Hadidi said the oil would be processed at Egyptian refineries and produce petroleum outputs for the domestic market. Meanwhile, Egypt is trying to reach agreements with governments in several countries to buy crude oil and refine it in Egyptian plants, Al-Hadidi said. “We already did this with Kuwait and Iraq.”