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)

May 7, 2019

Rumaila’s quest for water key to record production

Future growth at Iraq’s largest oil field hinges on unresolved plans for meeting the project’s massive demand for new water supplies.

May 2, 2019

Exports steady in April

Iraq's oil sales are well below capacity due to OPEC cuts, but monthly revenues are trending upward along with global crude prices.

Apr 24, 2019

Q&A: Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency

After spearheading a major new survey of Iraq’s energy sector, the IEA’s executive director previews his key insights and policy recommendations.

Apr 21, 2019

March production drops steeply

A perfect storm of factors — OPEC cuts, bad weather in the Basra Gulf, and flooding — caused Iraq’s output to fall by more than 4 percent.

Apr 17, 2019

Oil Ministry bars Petrofac from gas project

After a former Petrofac executive pled guilty to paying bribes in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the Oil Ministry has ordered an end to negotiations over the Ratawi gas hub.

Apr 16, 2019

Q&A: Bahaa Nima Abid, acting director of the Siba gas field

The first of federal Iraq's three gas fields awarded in a 2010 bidding round is now nearly ready for commercial production, helping the country become a sustainable producer of electricity.

Apr 11, 2019

Hadi al-Amiri appointed “czar” of Basra

The prime minister has tapped Amiri - the paramilitary commander-turned-political maverick - to coordinate an array of urgent initiatives in Iraq's oil capital.

Apr 10, 2019

Q&A: Ihsan Ismaael, Basra Oil Company director general

Basra's oil chief discusses efforts to protect Majnoon from flooding, plans for developing new capacity, and the field's place in Iraq's production strategy.

Apr 4, 2019

Prime ministers refrain from endorsing oil lawsuit

The top leaders in Baghdad and Erbil declined to sign legal arguments as requested by Iraq's highest court, signaling tepid interest in continuing a landmark court battle.

Apr 2, 2019

Basra export outages dent March oil sales

With production already constrained by OPEC cuts, Iraq's exports dipped even further as three days of bad weather disrupted Basra Gulf tanker loadings.