The start of full drilling operations just over a week ago at Iraq’s Akkas gas field -- led by U.S. oilfield services giant Schlumberger along with the state?owned Midland Oil -- could signal far more than an overdue upstream milestone. Given the enormous strategic importance of the field in its geographic location, role in domestic power generation, and as a benchmark in the roll?out of similar projects across the country, it may indicate growing momentum in Iraq’s shift towards the U.S. sphere of influence and away from that of China,…