Iraq Oil Report

29/10/2024

September production drops in response to OPEC quota pressure

Iraq cut output at state-operated fields and shifted maintenance schedules in a bid to improve OPEC-plus compliance.

29/10/2024

Iraq signs 5-plus and 6th round contracts

Thirteen deals from the May licensing round were finalized and signed at a ceremony in Baghdad, as Chinese firms further expand their footprint in Iraq’s oil sector.

22/10/2024

Abdulghani returns to ministry, but leadership questions linger

The oil minister is back at his desk after a health scare, but his multi-week absence surfaced unresolved political rivalries that could shake up oil sector leadership.

18/10/2024

Q&A: Ali Salman Majeed, deputy director general of South Gas Company

A top gas official discusses developments with TotalEnergies, Basra Gas Company, and other projects aiming to end flaring and produce enough products to expand exports.

08/10/2024

Ali Maarij takes temporary leadership of Oil Ministry

The deputy minister has assumed acting authorities to run the ministry as Hayyan Abdulghani recovers from a health emergency.

04/10/2024

September exports fall as Iraq claims OPEC quota compliance

Production cuts that started in August appear to be reflected in a 100,000 bpd reduction in September oil sales.

02/10/2024

Baghdad-Erbil progress fuels hope for counter-insurgency fight

The formation of two joint brigades highlights improving cooperation that could help combat IS militants and close security gaps.

26/09/2024

August production falls as Iraq initiates cuts

Renewed OPEC-plus pressure pushes Iraq to cut at least 100,000 bpd from state fields and accelerate maintenance plans at other projects in a bid to improve quota compliance.

23/09/2024

Analysis: As cash flows from Baghdad, political risks deepen for Kurdistan and its oil sector

A new era of financial integration with Baghdad has provided the KRG with badly needed budget support while also exposing new levels of political vulnerability.

12/09/2024

Election of new governor marks shift in Diyala power structures

Changing political and security dynamics have the potential to complicate burgeoning oil and gas development in the province.

09/09/2024

Q&A: Hossam Hussein Wali, director general of the South Refineries Company

Southern Iraq's refining chief says the government will prioritize domestic supply as it moves to comply with OPEC-plus production caps.

06/09/2024

August crude exports dip as OPEC-plus compliance pressure rises

Iraq posted its second-lowest monthly crude loadings of the year as it looks to address mounting pressure to adhere to OPEC-plus quota agreements.

28/08/2024

Iraq leans on refining sector after major capacity expansion

Countrywide refining capacity has risen by 30 percent in two years, giving Iraq strategic flexibility in an era of pipeline outages and OPEC pressure.

23/08/2024

Q&A: Khalid Hamza Abbas, director general of the Iraqi Drilling Company

With only a quarter of its rigs currently in operation, Iraq’s state-run drilling company is seeking to modernize its fleet.

21/08/2024

Iraq production climbs higher in July

14/08/2024

Local sleeper cells in Kurdistan highlight evolving extremist threat

Two recent busts have revealed homegrown IS cells planning assassination and recruitment campaigns.

10/08/2024

July crude exports continue upward trend

Iraqi oil sales hit their highest levels in nearly a year despite OPEC-plus pressure to throttle back production.

01/08/2024

BP revives quest for Kirkuk oil deal

A new memorandum of understanding signals a new phase in BP's decade-long pursuit of a deal to rehabilitate major oil fields in Kirkuk.

24/07/2024

June production up as Iraq agrees to new OPEC cuts

Iraqi output increased significantly in June; OPEC says Iraq has pledged to start compensating for overproduction starting in July.

17/07/2024

Q&A: Ali Zuhair Karim, director general for southern electricity transmission

Iraq's electricity grid is providing improving levels of service to southern provinces during high-demand summer months despite a drop in power imports from Iran.

08/07/2024

Analysis: Sudani agenda faces rising political risks as elections approach

Some members of the prime minister’s governing coalition appear to see Sudani’s popularity — and continuing success — as a growing political liability.

02/07/2024

Iraqi crude exports steady in June

High global prices are helping to offset the revenue impact of lower export volumes constrained by OPEC-plus pressure.

25/06/2024

New life for Iraq-Jordan export pipeline

The long-stalled project is taking tentative steps forward with a $5 billion federal budget financing provision and a recent equipment tender.

19/06/2024

OPEC-plus concern keeps lid on May production growth

Nationwide crude output is far below developed capacity due to the ongoing northern pipeline outage, southern infrastructure constraints, and — most acutely — quota pressure from OPEC-plus.

05/06/2024

Iraq’s May exports fall as OPEC-plus extends cuts

Exports declined by about 60,000 bpd as Iraq continues to move toward compliance with recently extended OPEC-plus production caps.