Shafaq News- Baghdad

Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair inaugurated a gas processing unit with a capacity of 30 million standard cubic feet per day at the southern section of the East Baghdad oilfield on Tuesday, according to the Oil Ministry.

Khudair said the ministry aims to integrate gas production and processing with other sectors, adding that the project would support the national electricity grid, reduce reliance on imported fuel, and cut harmful emissions in Baghdad.

The minister instructed the field’s management and companies operating there to transfer technology and expertise to Iraqi staff through training programs aimed at enabling local engineers and technicians to operate the facilities.

Khudair also called on residents of areas surrounding the field and elsewhere in Baghdad to receive priority for job opportunities, and urged greater participation by Iraqi private companies and local contractors in work supporting the project.

The southern section of the East Baghdad oilfield is operated by the state-run Midland Oil Company and developed in cooperation with China's EBS Petroleum Company as part of plans to increase oil and gas production and make greater use of the country's hydrocarbon resources.

Iraq ranked among the world's largest gas-flaring countries in 2025, alongside Russia and Iran, according to the World Bank. The three countries collectively flared about 84 billion cubic meters of gas, nearly half of the global total of 167 billion cubic meters. Iraq was also among nine countries that together accounted for more than 80% of global gas flaring.

Read more: Iraq's gas flaring paradox: a wealth of resources, a nation in need