Iraq’s NGC struggles with “deteriorating" operations, unused sulfur

Shafaq News/ North Gas Company (NGC) operations are deteriorating noticeably, Iraqi lawmaker Arshad Al-Salihi said on Thursday, warning that "mountains of sulfur" remain unused in the company's yards.

Al-Salihi, who represents Kirkuk in parliament, urged a complete review of the company’s operations, stressing the need for technical expertise to boost gas production. "Iraq has significant gas reserves yet continues to import from Iran and Turkmenistan,” he told Shafaq News.

Appointments within the company, he emphasized, should be based on qualifications rather than political affiliations, as placing qualified professionals in the right positions “will directly improve NGC’s production capacity.”

The MP also pointed to massive sulfur stockpiles left unutilized, describing them as "mountains of sulfur” sitting in the company’s yards without any effort to sell or invest in them, urging the government to develop a strategy to market these resources.

Recently, Iraq signed an agreement with BP to develop four oil and gas fields in Kirkuk meant to enhance oil production, expand North Gas Company’s facilities, and establish a 400-megawatt power plant.