The story: Held on the back of Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ Al-Sudani’s recent landmark visit to the US, a new round of bidding on oil and gas projects has notably seen the total absence of American oil majors. Instead, Chinese companies have reportedly been the only foreign actors to snap up contracts, dominating the licensing round. Moreover, as Baghdad pursues US-backed efforts to reduce reliance on energy imports from Iran, interest in major gas fields has been lackluster.

The coverage: Earlier this month, the Sudani administration launched a licensing round for 29 exploratory oil and gas projects across 12 governorates. The move is part of a five-year development plan approved last year to...