Nafta Polska joins forces with Halliburton Co in Iraq

State-owned fuel holding Nafta Polska has created a joint venture with U.S. Halliburton Co. a unit of Kellogg, Brown and Root, to seek contracts in re-building post-war Iraq, Marek Belka, who has been named chairman of an International Coordination Committee for reconstruction in Iraq, said yesterday. It was not clear whether the venture would directly rival another Iraqi start-up planned by PKN Orlen. A source close to the deal confirmed the venture and said it included gas monopoly PGNiG, builder Prochem, state-owned chemicals firm Police and fuel group Lotos, formerly known as Rafineria Gdańska. The government wants Nafta to lead the country's business efforts in Iraq. "We want to build several consortia around Nafta, which will have more say and the ability to break through and win contracts," Economy Minister Jerzy Hausner told reporters. (Reuters) A.K.