A US government delegation last week flew to Iraq to meet with contractors and public officials to discuss development of the country's southern oilfields.

Time reports that Major General Vincent Brooks, commander of US forces in southern Iraq, played host to the delegation, introducing ambassador Christopher Hill to BP's head of operations in Iraq to discuss the development of the Rumaila field, which the British company first drilled more than half a century ago.

The company has been providing training in Iraq for free since 2003 and since winning a contract to redevelop the field last year, it has been ramping up its training and development operations to ensure local workers can find a place in the recovering petroleum industry.

Iraq has high hopes for the development of its vast oil reserves, which are the fourth largest in the world behind Iran, Canada and Saudi Arabia, according to CIA analysis.

The government has set out a roadmap to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's largest producer inside seven years.

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