I was sent this page by a friend because he thought I could contribute.
This time last year I finished up a project assignment in Southern Iraq and when my company asked me to go I probably had the same reaction as the OP, f#ck that. However, I had a fantastic time, the money was great, the local people were brilliant and I have never seen people work so hard in 50 degree heat for $20 a day.
I was working south of Basra, flying Emirates into Basra and then travelling to site in armoured land cruisers, wearing body armour. Not the normal Australian way of getting to work, but when you get out of the airport to see 200 white land cruisers sitting in the car park, then it is the norm. You also get very used to this environment.
Working in Iraq is all about the location and how the security risk is managed. Our project had 150 security people (led by British ex SAS and Paratroopers) for a total workforce of 600. You need to make sure the security company is not an eastern European run organisation, their reputation is not as good as the British led companies. The biggest risk is generally during transportation.
Virtually every response says do not go, which is very understandable, however these responses come from people that have not experienced how the security risk is managed. You are currently in PNG, in my experience, having also worked there, there is also a significant security risk in PNG but there is virtually no management of that risk. Iraq’s security risk is higher but it is generally much better managed.
When I was in Iraq the security guys wanted to work in two areas, Basra and Erbil because they were the safest areas. I certainly wouldn’t fly into Baghdad or Mosul, the transportation risk is too high, way too many IED’s being used. It seems from the information that the OP has provided you work for [redacted] and are going to Taza, which is SW of Kirkuk. This is not the worst location in Iraq and this part of Kurdistan has been known as being one of the safer areas to work.
Even though I have not been to Iraq since the rise of ISIS, I still know a number of people who are working there and the feedback they have given me is not a lot has changed with where they work. There was a bit of a reaction when the Americans bombed some things but the oil industry continued with very little impact.
One other poster noted that “His company evacuated all of its personnel with my brother being the last one out on Monday night”, that means his brother is not an important person on that project or the security team don’t know what they are doing. Any important member of the team (ie Manager/Supervisor) or white expat is always the first person removed from the project if there is any security risk because they will be the most likely person to be kidnapped.
In summary, I would have no hesitation going back to Iraq, if I had confidence in how the security risk was being managed.