Iraq is developing a four-year plan to stop burning gas associated with oil

Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani said that the ministry took it upon itself to develop the oil and gas production process and increase production capacity, announcing the development of a plan to invest the gas associated with oil extraction and to prevent its burning completely within the next four years.

On Monday, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced the development of a plan to invest the gas associated with oil extraction, and to prevent its burning completely during the next four years.

The Iraqi News Agency quoted Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani as saying that the ministry "took upon itself the development of the oil and gas production process and increasing production capacity in line with Iraq's position in the global markets."

The burning of associated gas has always been a concern for Iraq because of the difficulty of exploiting the quantities of gas and investing in it instead of burning it.

The average daily burning of gas is 700 cubic feet, according to previous data from the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

The minister said, "The Ministry of Oil has plans to invest the associated gas that is now being burned, and there is a plan to invest it. This plan also guarantees the investment of all gas during the coming years, in order to prevent its burning completely."

He added, "The plan is set within four years, after which there will be no gas burning, and the results will be tangible during the first year of the life of the Iraqi government, especially in some southern fields."

On October 27, the House of Representatives gave confidence to the government headed by Muhammad Shia’a al-Sudani, after more than a year of political blockage that prevailed after the October 2021 elections, and tensions that amounted to an armed clash.

The minister did not mention the details of that plan, but the separation of gas from oil through specialized facilities when extracting crude is considered one of the most important tools for exploiting gas.

And Iraq is the second largest producer of crude oil in OPEC after Saudi Arabia, with an average daily production of 4.6 million barrels, amid efforts to increase production to 6 million barrels per day before 2027.