Iraq: Plan to End Gas Imports

Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudhair announced that the issue of flared gas will be completely resolved by the end of 2028, affirming that current projects in the Mansuriyah and Azzaz fields aim to fully meet local gas demand and end the reliance on imports. Khudhair stated that “major gas projects, such as the Mansuriyah and Azzaz fields, along with other fields, aim to secure the required quantities of gas domestically, ultimately ending the entire gas import file and achieving self-sufficiency.” He added that “the ministry has a clear vision and strategy based on diversifying Iraq’s oil export routes, rather than relying exclusively or solely on the Strait of Hormuz,” noting that “the plan includes expanding the Turkish port of Ceyhan,” according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). Khudhair pointed out that “this direction emerged from discussions and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with a consortium comprising two American companies, Chevron and TI Capital, as well as Qatar’s UC.” He continued that “the Ministry of Oil is currently studying how to construct a strategic pipeline extending from Basra to Kirkuk, from which it would head to the port of Ceyhan,” adding that “the project also includes studying the extension of a branch from this pipeline to the Syrian port of Baniyas, with the second phase of this strategic plan involving the study of another branch extending to the Jordanian port of Aqaba.”