People living and working in Rumaila sent us videos which gave us a glimpse of what life was like there, but we were struggling to be allowed in to film for ourselves. Our official requests were turned down on at least five occasions, and the oil field - which at 1,800 sq km is bigger than some small countries - is guarded by several checkpoints. Beyond those checkpoints, the area is patrolled by the Iraqi oil police and private security firms working for the oil companies. And behind all of this are the armed militia groups that dominate Iraqi politics in the south - and are profiting from the oil operations on their doorstep.
