The Iraqi Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul-Ghani, inaugurated on Wednesday the first phase of the natural gas liquefaction plant in the Rumaila oilfield, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). A statement issued by the Oil Ministry mentioned that the new plant will produce 200 million cubic feet per day in its first phase. The second phase of the project, scheduled to be opened at the end of 2023, is expected to liquefy 400 million cubic feet of the associated gas in the Rumaila oilfield, the statement revealed. The Iraqi Oil Minister mentioned earlier that the natural gas liquefaction plant is one of the important projects, and the completion of the project’s first phase is an important step to achieve the goals of the government by reducing gas flares, investing this wasted energy, and converting it into clean energy to supply power plants. “The new plant’s production will contribute to generating 1900 megawatts of electricity to supply the national grid,” Abdul-Ghani explained. Additionally, the new plant will help produce 2150 tons per day of liquid gas used in cooking, in addition to 5900 barrels per day of condensates used in producing fuel and other chemicals. Abdul-Ghani added that the most important characteristic of this project is the use of modern technologies in purifying, extracting, and treating associated gases and stopping the release of harmful gases into the air to preserve the environment and public health.

Iraq is going full throttle in its oil and gas development and held a resumption ceremony for a project award to a Chinese firm to build a crude oil depot for export with a capacity of around 3.2 million barrels, Zawya reported, citing Iraqi officials. The contractor will build the storage facility in Nasiriyah city in the Southern Dhi Qar Governorate, they said. It will be built on an area of around 2.5 million square metres, project manager Ali Ibrahim said in a statement published on Monday by Aliqtisad News and other Iraqi publications. Ibrahim said the facility would comprise seven large storage tankers, including four tankers for heavy crude and four for light crude. He noted that the project aims to pump crude through a pipeline to Faw Port, which is under construction in South Iraq. “Crude will then be exported through Arabian Gulf ports….there are also plans to transport crude from the storage tankers through pipelines to refineries and power plants in central and North Iraq,” Ibrahim said, adding that the project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025.

Iraq Oil Minister HE Hayan Abdel Ghani confirmed on Wednesday Qatar’s interest in obtaining rights for oil and gas exploration in his country, speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum. Ghani told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the forum was an opportunity to announce a number of energy projects that Iraq wants to develop in the coming period, especially the fifth and sixth rounds that include 19 blocks in the Western side of the country. He also said that he discussed activating a number of projects in Iraq with President and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, calling on international companies to participate in these rounds, given the role these investments play in generating electricity and securing financial resources for Iraq. Qatar Energy had agreed to own a 25 percent stake in the Gas Growth Integrated Project in Iraq (GGAT), which aims to develop natural gas resources in the country. The project’s coalition is 30 percent owned by Basra Oil Company, with 45 percent owned by TotalEnergies, and QatarEnergy with 25 percent. This was achieved after wrapping up all contractual requirements and obtaining regulatory approvals.