By Anas al-Bar | 2024-08-21

Iraq is implementing plans to reach zero gas imports in the coming years so the Iranian regime cannot use the energy sector as a weapon of economic blackmail.

Gas exports are one of the pressure points the Iranian regime uses to dominate Iraq, and are a huge source of income for the Iranian treasury, with Iranian gas exports to Iraq bringing in an annual $4 billion.

But rather than spend all that money on pressing domestic needs, substantial funding is directed to the Iranian regime's malign regional agenda and to prop up its proxy groups, notably in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.

Iraq has been making progress in its efforts to stop the waste of flare gas burned off during crude oil extraction operations, with one such project launched June 8 at the Halfaya field in Maysan province.

Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani hailed the project as an "important addition" towards stopping the burning of gas associated with oil production.

The Nasiriyah and al-Gharraf oil fields project, which will start operating next year, is expected to produce 200 million cubic feet of gas per day.

Iraq is counting on new agreements and investments to achieve energy self-sufficiency, among them the French TotalEnergies project, which processes flared gas at six oil fields: Artawi, West Qurna 2, Majnoon, Sabah, Tuba and Luhais.

The first phase is expected to be completed in 2027, with the expected total daily gas production reaching 600 million cubic feet by 2030.

On August 1, Iraq and British energy giant BP signed an agreement to invest in four gas and oil fields in Kirkuk province.

Securing Iraq's gas needs

Iraq "will eventually be able to operate power plants with locally produced gas," economist Abdul Rahman al-Mashhadani told al-Fassel, adding that "investments will secure Iraq's gas needs in the coming years."

Al-Mashhadani also sees the need to take into account the annual increase in demand for electricity.

"Demand has now surged to more than 40,000 megawatts, and it is expected to reach about 60,000 megawatts within a few years," he said, adding that "we must plan for larger investments and produce electricity from multiple sources."

The US energy sector provides Iraq with leading technology and expertise in processing gas within the framework of agreements signed in mid-April.

By supporting Iraq's energy independence, the US government also seeks to cut off a major source of funding for the Iranian regime's malign regional agenda.