Renewable Energy Iraq imports 126,000 solar panels for ‘Sun of Basra’ project Iraq has imported more than 126,000 solar panels for its largest solar power park being built by France’s TotalEnergies, electricity minister Ziad Fadhil has said. Dubbed “Sun of Basra”, the project is part of a $27 billion contract and will generate at least 1,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity that will benefit 250,000 houses. The project […] April 25, 2025
Energy Gulf share of India oil market slides on Russia gains India’s pivot toward discounted Russian crude oil has accelerated, eroding the dominance of traditional Middle Eastern suppliers in one of the world’s fastest-growing oil markets. In the Indian fiscal year ending March 31, Russia retained its position as India’s top oil supplier for a third year in row, Reuters reported, based on ship tracking data […] April 23, 2025
Oil & Gas Iraq to cut oil spending after fall in crude prices Iraq is seeking to cut operational spending on oil projects while trying to maintain investment in increasing crude production, following a steep fall in prices, the official news agency reported on Tuesday. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani sent a letter to the oil ministry and state-owned oil companies asking them to reduce spending on projects […] April 22, 2025
Trade Iraq and Turkey to devise roadmap for expanded trade Iraq and its northern neighbour Turkey will hold a series of meetings in the coming weeks to devise a roadmap for increasing bilateral trade, which hit an all-time high of nearly $15 billion in 2024. “There is a plan in this respect and it has been prepared with the help of various Iraqi economic parties… […] April 22, 2025
Petrochemicals China to build new industrial city in Iraq China will build an industrial city in the Karbala governorate to develop Iraq’s petrochemical sector, the official Iraq News Agency reported. Sepco Electric Power Construction Corporation, a subsidiary of state-run PowerChina, signed an agreement with Iraq’s ministry of industry and minerals to build four petrochemical plants within the Karbala Industrial City, according to Iraqi News, […] April 21, 2025
Industry Iraq revives war-devastated fertiliser plant Iraq’s industry and minerals minister broke ground on Thursday on a major fertiliser plant in the north of the country which was destroyed by Daesh militants nearly 10 years ago. Khalid al-Najm laid the ground stone for the plant in Baiji city in the northern Saladin Governorate during a ceremony attended by local tribal chiefs, […] April 18, 2025
Editor's Insight Energy Old adversaries cut deals in the new Iraq Strange things are happening in Iraq. Opec’s second-largest oil producer has a capacity of almost 5 million barrels per day and wants to increase that to 6 million bpd over the next three years. In May last year, our columnist Robin Mills noted that in an auction of oil and gas blocks, Chinese companies won 10 bids and a local […] April 17, 2025
Oil & Gas Iraqi gas field awarded to US oilfield services giant Iraq has awarded the first phase of the much-delayed development of one of its largest gas fields to SLB, a Texas-based oilfield services company previously known as Schlumberger, according to local media. A year after it chose a little-known Ukrainian company for the project, the cabinet decided to hand over rights to develop the Akkas […] April 10, 2025
Energy Iraq signs power-generation deals with US companies Iraq has signed memoranda of understanding with two US companies to generate more than 27 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, including a giant solar power plant, according to the prime minister’s office. The electricity ministry signed the two MoUs with Massachusetts-based GE Vernova and Florida-based UGT Renewables in Baghdad on Wednesday during a visit by more […] April 10, 2025
Oil & Gas Iraq offers gas site concessions amid power generation issues Iraq is offering 15 natural gas concession sites to international investors as part of a post-conflict drive to develop its hydrocarbon resources and increase production capacity, the state-owned Iraq news agency reported. Opec’s second largest oil producer is prioritising the development of its gas deposits to stop the long-standing practice of burning them off, or […] April 9, 2025
Banking & Finance Iraq starts banking sector restructuring plan Iraq announced this week the start of a much-awaited post-war project to restructure its banking system with the help of the US consultancy company Oliver Wyman. The Central Bank of Iraq said restructuring would be implemented in stages. “Iraqi banks have gone a long way in developing their services but they are required to take […] April 8, 2025
Oil & Gas Output at Iraq’s largest gas field up 75% since 2017 Production from Khor Mor, Iraq’s largest non-associated gas field, has reached 500 million barrels of oil equivalent, according to a joint statement issued by Abu Dhabi-listed Dana Gas and Sharjah-based Crescent Petroleum. The two companies, each owning a 35 percent stake in Pearl Petroleum consortium, the operator of the gas field in the Kurdistan Region […] April 3, 2025
Trade Iraq’s trade balance surplus with US at $6bn Iraq has a trade balance surplus of nearly $6 billion with the US, a senior government official has said. This comes from oil exports to the US more than doubling in two years, state-run Iraq News Agency reported, quoting prime minister’s financial advisor Mazhar Mohammed Salih. The trade volume between the two countries has more […] April 2, 2025
Infrastructure Next phase of Jordan-Iraq power link due by late July The second phase of a Jordan-Iraq electricity interconnection project is set for completion by the end of July, a news report has said. Almost 95 percent of the project’s civil works have been finalised, with installation of electrical equipment and essential testing remaining, Jordan News Agency reported citing Sufyan Batayneh, director general of the state-run […] March 31, 2025
Infrastructure Turkey to tender rail project under Development Road plan Turkey plans to float a tender for a new rail project that is part of the Development Road Project, a new freight link planned between Asia and Europe, according to a news report. The tender will be issued in the coming months, Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing transport and infrastructure minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. Ankara is […] March 31, 2025
Oil & Gas Iraq targets oil exports to Africa in expansion plan Iraq is considering exporting crude oil to Africa amid a market expansion plan, oil minister Hayan Abdul Ghani has said. “The government is evaluating the feasibility of entering African markets,” he told state-run Iraqi News Agency. Iraq signed 44 contracts under the latest oil licensing rounds across 14 provinces. The state-owned Basra Oil Company, which […] March 24, 2025
Oil & Gas Iraq approves Kirkuk oilfield development deal with BP Iraq has officially endorsed an agreement with UK energy major BP for the development of four oilfields in the northern Kurdish Kirkuk region. The cabinet gave its final approval to the multi-billion dollar contract at a meeting this week headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani, the official news agency said. BP expects to invest up […] March 19, 2025
Infrastructure Iraq’s long delayed Faw port nears completion Iraq’s long-delayed redevelopment and construction of its Faw port near the Arabian Gulf will be completed this year, the Iraq state news agency reported, paving the way for improved access for goods to Iraq and beyond. South Korea’s Daewoo won a $2.6 billion contract to build five main piers at the port in 2010 and […] March 17, 2025
Analysis Oil & Gas Final kink obstructs reopening of Iraq-Turkey pipeline Iraq’s oil pipeline through Turkey – which has been closed for two years – is not just a pipeline. It raises a cornucopia of issues: declining Russian oil exports to Turkey, US pressure on Iraq to stop illicit Iraqi oil exports to Iran, peace with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in eastern Turkey, how […] March 17, 2025
Construction Iraq plans to build one million houses in two years The Iraqi government has set an ambitious target to construct 1 million houses within the next two years to tackle a festering post-war housing crisis, according to an adviser to the prime minister quoted in local media. The government is facing elections in October. The new units would be built within 11 projects and involve […] March 13, 2025
Oil & Gas Iraq ramps up LNG import projects after US ends Iran waiver Iraq is ramping up development of an offshore liquefied natural gas terminal and a 40km pipeline, as Baghdad seeks to import more gas following a US decision to end the country’s exemption on purchases from Iran, according to local media. Ali Shaddad, a member of the parliament’s oil and gas committee, said work on the […] March 10, 2025
Renewable Energy TotalEnergies starts building Iraq’s largest solar plant France’s TotalEnergies has started constructing Iraq’s largest solar power plant as part of a $27 billion energy deal it signed in 2023. The plant, based in the southern oil hub of Basra, has a production capacity of 1,000 megawatt (MW) and includes installing two million solar panels, the official news agency said, citing an Electricity […] March 7, 2025
