Energy

Iraq begins nationwide production shutdowns

With exports halted by war, Iraq has limited options to keep fields operating and has begun taking millions of barrels of daily production offline.

Oil Minister Hayyan Abdulghani (center) meets with his deputies to plan for production cuts in anticipation of a shutdown in southern oil exports on March 2, 2026. (Photo credit: Oil Ministry)

Oct 26, 2022

Q&A: Hussein Abdul-Kadhim, Zubair field operations director

Oil production at Zubair is being ramped up towards a targeted 700,000 bpd within five years, but that goal will require more water injection than is currently available.

Oct 25, 2022

CORRECTED: Baghdad court annuls three more KRG contracts

Kurdistan's contracts with Addax, ShaMaran, and Gulf Keystone have been ruled invalid; cases against Dana Gas and Gazprom Neft are ongoing.

Oct 24, 2022

Q&A: Ali Yousif Zaboon, director of field operations at West Qurna 1

Production capacity at the West Qurna 1 oil field is set to increase to 600,000 bpd in 2023 despite operator ExxonMobil’s planned exit.

Oct 21, 2022

Akkas gas field to start production

The field awarded to Kogas to develop in 2010 but then shut down by security issues for nearly a decade has been connected to a nearby power plant by Iraqi state oil and gas workers.

Oct 18, 2022

Facing critical threats to oil independence, KRG leaders fail to unify

Violent political disputes bewteen Kurdistan's ruling parties are undermining their leverage in Baghdad at a pivotal time of government formation.

Oct 14, 2022

Iraqi production stays strong in September, but OPEC-plus cuts loom

Output stays above 4.7 million bpd for third straight month, but reductions are on the horizon as tighter OPEC quotas take effect in November.

Oct 8, 2022

September exports steady as northern oil sales rebound

Revenues fell with global oil prices, but higher export volumes through Ceyhan helped offset a pipeline leak that temporarily halted Basra Gulf tanker loadings.

Oct 7, 2022

Backup plans emerge for Iraqi gas as TotalEnergies faces delays

Political hurdles and unresolved commercial negotiations have set back Iraq's most ambitious plans for associated gas. Smaller projects could start to fill the vacuum.

Sep 28, 2022

Q&A: Dhia Shaker al-Luaibi, director of Majnoon oil field

One of Iraq's largest oil fields is nearly doubling its capacity next year — and, with new seismic work, likely increasing reserves beyond its current 47 billion barrels.

Sep 27, 2022

Q&A: Haidar Fakher Nasser, director of Khor al-Zubair port

Iraq could soon gain a new option for exporting crude with the ongoing expansion of Khor al-Zubair port.