I work for Hunt Oil Company as the Environment, Health and Safety Manager. I spend half my time in Erbil and half out on our drilling locations. Prior to ISIS, Erbil was a city that was growing like Las Vegas in the 90s. Now it has come to a standstill. There are many unfinished projects -- a lot of the workers have volunteered to join the Peshmarga to help defend the country. Most of the major oil companies have shut down their operations and will probably not return until the situation gets a little more stable. In Erbil there is a Christian area known as Ankawa, I drove through there yesterday to see how bad the situation is. To be honest, it's worse than they report. There are refugees living and sleeping in abandon and half-constructed buildings. The local churches are overflowing with people lined outside hoping to get a meal, water, and clean clothes. Vendors are lined up on the streets selling produce that is not fit for consumption. The children play while...(Read Full Post)