Energy

Summer crisis looms as wartime disruptions hit Iraq’s power sector

Iraq's electricity grid has survived a drop in domestic gas feedstock by employing backup measures that are unlikely to meet the challenges of summertime demand spikes.

Workers from Iraq's State Company for Oil Projects install a pipeline to help transport gas from the Nahr Bin Omar field to the Basra Gas Company's NGL processing plant at North Rumaila in April 2026. (Photo credit: SCOP)

Aug 6, 2020

Shell to return to Basra with new head

Following payment disputes and volatile protests that prompted the Basra Gas Company's expat staff to evacuate, Shell and Iraq's South Gas Company are bringing in new leadership as they attempt to reconcile.

Aug 4, 2020

Iraq’s July oil exports hit five-year low, but revenues rise

Reduced crude sales reflect ongoing efforts to comply with an OPEC-plus quota agreement, which has helped support global prices and Iraqi earnings.

Jul 31, 2020

Iraq in talks with Saudi Arabia and Honeywell over Basra mega-deal

Pivoting away from negotiations with ExxonMobil, Iraq is now putting the Ratawi oil field at the center of a prospective upstream, gas, and power deal with Saudi Arabia.

Jul 21, 2020

Gharraf field restarts after four months as Petronas team returns

The field will initially target 50,000 bpd – about half the production level it averaged before shutting down amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Jul 17, 2020

Iraq draws electricity from oil projects to help failing power grid

The government is seeking stopgap solutions to major blackouts that have sparked protests in southern Iraq.

Jul 17, 2020

New prime minister gives a first look at oil policy

In a meeting with senior Oil Ministry officials, Mustafa Kadhimi communicated his administration's energy sector priorities.

Jul 14, 2020

Production falls further as Iraq pursues OPEC compliance

While the country's output is still over its quota, Iraq has now cut more than 600,000 bpd compared to its first-quarter production average.

Jul 8, 2020

Protest disrupts Halfaya operations and local power supply

Financial constraints and OPEC cuts led to oil sector layoffs and protests that briefly shut down access to Missan province's largest field.

Jul 2, 2020

Iraq exports plunge toward OPEC compliance

Countrywide oil sales dropped by 11 percent, but higher oil prices – buoyed by an OPEC-plus quota agreement – yielded monthly revenue gains.

Jun 15, 2020

Iraq questions fairness, but closes in on OPEC-plus target

Production cuts and falling exports move Iraq closer to OPEC-plus quota compliance.