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Baghdad: The Iraqi Ministry of Oil said that it is implementing a broad program to develop the country's gas and energy sectors.
It added that it will seek to end routine flaring of associated gas by 2030, expand renewable energy projects, and increase the oil sector's contribution to financing infrastructure projects.
In a statement on Saturday, Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesman Salim Al Rikabi said that the Ministry is carrying out a number of strategic projects to capture and utilize associated gas from oil fields.
These include the Basrah Gas Company projects, in addition to projects in the Nasiriya and Gharraf oil fields, and the Akkas and Mansuriya gas fields, with the aim of maximizing the use of gas resources and meeting domestic market demand.
The Ministry is adopting modern technologies in gas production and processing operations to support its plan to fully utilize associated gas and permanently end gas flaring over the coming years, Al Rikabi added.
The Oil Ministry spokesman added that the Ministry is expanding its investments in clean energy through the implementation of the Artawi solar plant, a solar energy project with a planned generation capacity of 1,000 megawatts, as part of a government strategy to diversify energy sources and promote sustainability.
There is ongoing coordination between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the country's Ministry of Electricity to ensure the stability of Iraq's energy system, he said.
Al Rikabi noted that crude oil requires processing before it can be used to generate electricity, making it impractical to connect oil fields directly to power generation stations.
The spokesperson further noted that increased domestic demand for fuel during the summer months may require a temporary reduction in gas supplies to some factories.
He emphasized that Iraq's transition into a gas-exporting country will depend on the completion of the ongoing investment and development projects.
