Ajeel field targets 122% increase in gas production
Shafaq News- Saladin
Iraq plans to more than double gas production at the Ajeel oil field in Saladin, from about 135 million to 300 million standard cubic feet per day, under a new 25-year development contract aimed at supplying more domestic fuel to power plants and industry.
Signed by the state-run North Oil Company and KEPT under the sponsorship of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, the contract also targets a gradual increase in crude output from around 30,000 to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Deputy Oil Minister for Extraction Affairs Naseer Aziz told Shafaq News that reaching those levels will require integrating extraction with processing and transportation, including rehabilitating existing infrastructure and adding facilities where needed.
At full capacity, Ajeel would yield an extra 165 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, a 122% increase, alongside a 10,000-bpd rise in crude production.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Deputy Minister for Gas Affairs Izzat Saber Ismail said the new volumes could enter the national network to supply power plants and industrial users, with part of the output converted into liquefied petroleum gas and condensates.
Can Existing Infrastructure Handle the Increase?
Processing remains the main challenge. Aziz instructed the relevant authorities to conduct a technical study to determine whether facilities operated by the North Gas Company can absorb the projected volumes or need further development.
The findings will establish what upgrades are required to process and transport Ajeel’s gas, a key factor in realizing the field’s full economic potential.
The development forms part of Baghdad’s efforts to expand domestic energy supplies, curb imports, and capture associated gas that would otherwise be flared.
Read more: Iraq's gas flaring paradox: a wealth of resources, a nation in need
Beyond Crude Production
Economic expert Ali Khalil told Shafaq News that Ajeel could generate greater value by placing gas at the center of its development rather than treating it primarily as a byproduct of crude extraction. Output of 300 million standard cubic feet per day, he estimated, could make a significant contribution to Iraq’s energy supply if directed toward power generation and domestic industries.
Khalil cautioned, however, that the returns will depend on whether Iraq builds sufficient infrastructure to bring the extra gas and condensates into use.
Read more: Iraq power 2026: War on Iran collapses the grid ahead of peak summer
