BP begins practical steps to develop Kirkuk oil and gas fields

Shafaq News – Kirkuk

The Joint Management Committee for Kirkuk’s four oil fields—Kirkuk, Bai Hassan, Khabbaz, and Jambur—held its first meeting on Thursday to launch a development plan for the Iraqi province’s oil fields in partnership with British energy company BP.

In a press conference, Deputy Minister of Oil for Extraction Affairs Bassim Muhammad Khudair confirmed the meeting resulted in agreements to establish a project management team, set an initial budget, and outline a work program. The committee also approved transparency and integrity standards for recruitment and project implementation.

The contract signed with BP aims to raise production across the four fields to over 450,000 barrels of crude oil per day, alongside 440 million standard cubic feet of associated gas. This is expected to address the issue of flared gas and utilize it to power electricity plants.

The Ministry of Oil plans to transform Kirkuk into a regional investment hub for energy, leveraging its rich resources, historic significance, and strategic location linking northern and central Iraq.

Zaid Al-Yasiri, BP’s General Manager in Iraq, told Shafaq News that the company is resuming work with the Ministry of Oil and the Northern Oil and Gas companies to begin a new chapter of strategic partnership.

He emphasized that their goal “extends beyond increasing production to applying international standards of safety, and training Iraqi personnel to manage the fields in the future,” confirming BP’s commitment to supporting Kirkuk’s local economy by contracting local companies and creating job opportunities for residents.