CAIRO, March 5 (Reuters) - Iraq's Oil Minister said on

Tuesday that he received a message from U.S.-based engineering

company KBR to join the country's Nebras petrochemical

project, Iraq's state news agency said.

The announcement comes after Shell said in February

that it will not proceed with the project in southern Iraq as

part of its review of its operations in the sector that has seen

a sharp drop in profits in recent years.