Basra gas surge: Iraq fast-tracks key field development
Shafaq News/ Iraq is ramping up gas investments in its southern oil hub, fast-tracking development in the Rumaila, Zubair, and West Qurna 1 fields, a senior Basra Gas Company (BGC) official confirmed on Saturday.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Marfa Kazem al-Asadi, BGC’s deputy director, noted that these three fields are top licensing priorities, adding that BGC stands ready to process gas from additional fields as it becomes available.
BGC—a joint venture between Iraq’s South Gas Company, Shell, and Mitsubishi—has expanded production to 1.4 billion standard cubic feet per day. “It operates three export terminals and regularly ships liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the Gulf, East Asia, North Africa, and China,” he said.
Al-Asadi also highlighted a new agreement with the Oil Ministry to scale up investment in the Artawi project and launch development at the Lahis field. “In 2024, our LPG output reached 6,500 tons per day, with monthly exports averaging 70,000 tons.”
The push comes as Iraq increases the utilization of associated gas—a byproduct of crude production. Oil Ministry adviser Abdul Baqi Khalaf recently noted that Iraq now recovers 70% of its associated gas, with that figure expected to rise through 2025.
