An employee turns a valve at the Hammar Mushrif station inside the Zubair oil and gas field. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Oil Minister Bassim Khudair urged foreign oil companies operating in Iraq to develop gas fields in the western parts of the country.
This big endeavor aims to lessen the country’s dependency on imported gas for electricity generation while also reducing budget deficits.
Khudair’s remarks took place during his participation in a symposium examining international oil companies’ role in Iraq’s energy industry, when he defined them as partners rather than contractors.
According to Khudair, the Iraqi government has developed a strategy to increase output, improve quality, create a favorable investment climate, and enhance oil facility infrastructure.
As part of the Iraqi government’s plans to achieve self-sufficiency in gas by 2030, Khudair said last month that the ministry aims to activate gas resources such as Akkas and Mansouriya, where reserves are promising.
Iraq’s appeal for foreign companies is part of a larger campaign to exploit massive, undeveloped gas resources, put a stop to ongoing gas flaring, and reduce dependency on energy imports.