The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has announced the discovery of a large oil field in the southern province of Najaf, near the border with Saudi Arabia. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The discovery is considered one of the most important in the Iraqi energy sector in recent years, as initial estimates indicate that one of the exploration patches contains reserves exceeding 8.8 billion barrels of crude oil. The Qurnain block is located in southwestern Iraq in Najaf province, about 180 kilometres from