Iraq targets 250 MW power generation from a southern oilfield

Shafaq News/ Iraq aims to utilize 70 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of associated gas from the Bazerkan field for power generation, targeting 250 megawatts (MW) of capacity, the Oil Ministry said on Monday. 

"The ministry is expediting investment in associated gas from the Bazerkan oil operations to support the power sector," said Izzat Saber, the ministry's undersecretary for gas affairs, in a statement. "We aim to invest 70 mmscfd to generate 250 MW."

Saber reiterated the ministry's commitment to utilizing all viable gas resources from Iraqi oil fields. He also highlighted the importance of accelerating the construction of the 18-km Bazerkan-Halfaya gas pipeline to facilitate gas utility in the field.

In April, Iraqi and US companies signed a series of agreements to capture natural gas traditionally flared from Iraq's oilfields and use it to produce domestic power while reducing dependence on neighboring Iran for energy.

Iraq's oil and gas fields have suffered years of under-investment and since 2018, Washington has had to issue Iran sanctions waivers to Iraq, one of the world's top oil and gas producers, that allow it to buy power imported from the Islamic Republic. 

Collecting and burning the gas to generate power can help fight climate change as simply flaring it wastes fuel while doing nothing to reduce demand for additional gas supply from Iran.