Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered a reassessment of the country’s oil licensing rounds, more than 15 years after they were first introduced.

According to a statement by the PM’s media office, Al-Sudani met with representatives of major foreign oil companies operating in Iraq, along with officials, where he addressed several key issues in the energy sector, including on ending gas flaring, enhancing water injection, boosting oil field investment, and improving labor, social security, and regulatory coordination.

Iraq issued its oil licensing framework in 2009, launching a series of technical service contracts to attract foreign investment and rebuild its energy sector. Over the years, the country awarded multiple oil and gas fields through successive rounds, including the fifth and sixth, which concluded in 2024.

While the sixth licensing round concluded in 2024 and the cabinet recently approved 14 new projects under the fifth supplementary and sixth rounds, critics argue that a comprehensive review is overdue.