The gas investment project in Basra that is being managed by the French company TotalEnergies has been making steady progress, as reported by Iraq’s Oil Ministry, demonstrating that it is in line with the strategic timelines set by the government.
The seventh Joint Management Committee meeting was presided over by Deputy Oil Minister for Extraction, Mr. Basem Mohammed Khudair. Other officials in attendance were Deputy Minister for Gas, Mr. Ezzat Saber, Director of the Basra Oil Company (BOC), and Director of the South Gas Company (SGC), Mr. Hamza Abdulbaqi. The project, which is a major strategic initiative, has many parts, like building the Artawi Field and doing gas recovery in five oil fields in two stages, each stage processing 300 million standard cubic feet (mmscf) per day for 600 mmscf.
In addition, the project includes a solar power plant with a capacity of 1,000 MW that will be constructed in four phases, each producing 250 MW, as well as a system for injecting seawater into the reservoir to keep it at a constant pressure.
The “Accelerated Gas Recovery” component, which was added recently with the intention of further reducing gas flaring, was emphasized by Mr. Khudair. In accordance with directives for effective gas utilization, this new element will process 50 mmscf of gas that was not originally planned. Contracts for drilling activities have been offered, and it is anticipated that operations will begin in December.
Additionally, seismic surveys are being carried out by a Chinese company in collaboration with the Oil Exploration Company of Iraq. In addition, Total and another company are engaged in ongoing negotiations to secure a seawater supply.
Engaging Iraqi graduates and skilled workers, whom Total is expected to employ directly to ensure job creation without third-party contractors, was a crucial topic of discussion.
