Baghdad – WAA
Today, Monday, the Ministry of Oil detailed the gas investment projects in southern Iraq, the operating capacities, and the completion date of those currently being implemented, in order to reach a “zero” percentage of flared gas within the next five years, while it highlighted the integrated gas growth project under the Total Energy Company, which it described as the “strongest” currently.
The Assistant Director General of the Southern Gas Company for Technical Affairs, Majid Al-Shawaf, said in an interview with the (INA): “The gas file is considered one of the very important files under the eyes of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Oil, and the cadres in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil,” indicating that “the quantities of gas invested are constantly increasing, and the goal is to reach zero gas burned within the next five years.”
He explained: “Investment is being made through several projects, some of which are projects or factories currently existing in the southern region of Basra, and production capacities have been increased and developed. As for future projects, they are divided into three or four projects under implementation, or in the engineering design phase, or in the contracting phase,” adding that “the strongest project currently is the integrated gas growth project under the supervision of Total Energy.”
When asked about the increase in the investment rate of associated gas, Al-Shawaf replied, “The existing surface facilities were old facilities that were established in the mid-seventies of the last century, and development and modernization took place through projects and investment in the previous 10 and 5 years.”
He added: “As a result, we have managed to increase production capacities and invest what was being burned in the oil fields in the southern region, namely North Rumaila, South Rumaila, West Qurna/1 and the Zubair field. This is due to the addition of additional facilities and compression stations, as investing in gas is not an easy process. Money must be spent, compressors must be brought in and pressures must be raised. If the gas is acidic, it must be treated to be suitable for use in power stations.”
The Deputy General Manager of the Southern Gas Company for Technical Affairs went on to say: “All of these were accomplished during the previous period, and therefore the Southern Gas Company now has the ability to invest or increase production capacities during this period.”
Regarding the date of the start of gas production by the new companies, Al-Shawaf said: “One of the projects is the integrated gas growth project donated by Total, and the targeted gas quantity from this project is 600 million standard cubic feet in two phases targeting 6 fields: Artawi, West Qurna/2, Majnoon, Sabbah, Al-Tuba and Al-Luhais, in two phases, 300 million standard cubic feet in the first phase will be ready to enter operation in November 2027, and in the second phase, 300 million standard cubic feet will be invested after 3 years, and it will be ready for operation in 2030.”
He explained that “during this stage, from now until 2028, there are projects to invest in accelerated gas, and it is possible to invest the largest possible amount of this gas until the surface facilities are completed by Total through the Integrated Gas Growth Project, which invests an amount of 50 million standard cubic feet from the Artawi field during the first two years until the completion of the first phase with 300 million standard cubic feet after 3 years until the completion of the second phase.”
He pointed out that “the accelerated gas investment during this period was carried out by the Gas Company through the Basra Gas Facilities, (where) part of the Majnoon gas that is currently being burned through the liquids holding system in the northern sands is being invested and prepared for the Basra Gas Company to be invested.”
Al-Shawaf concluded his speech by saying: “The second project, which is under construction, is the Nasiriyah project, which invests in gas from the Nasiriyah field and the Gharraf field with a capacity of 200 million standard cubic feet,” noting that “the project’s completion rate has reached 60% and it will enter into operation during the next year.”