At a Glance

• Al-Abadi instructed BP to boost Kirkuk's oil and gas production.
• The directive mandates local hiring, community services, and modern technology.

Iraqi Oil Minister Basem Mohammed Khudair al-Abadi directed multinational oil and gas firm British Petroleum (BP) to increase and stabilize crude and gas production across four major Kirkuk fields.

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Key Statements and Focus Areas

• The Oil Minister emphasized “increasing and sustaining crude oil production, as well as boosting the production and investment of gas due to the country's urgent need for it.”
• Al-Abadi underlined “the importance of keeping pace with modern technology and introducing the latest techniques into the development operations of the four fields.”

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Al-Abadi chaired the fourth joint management committee meeting on Thursday to review BP’s development project for Kirkuk’s four major fields: Bai Hassan, Jamour, Khabbaz, and Kirkuk (comprising the Avana and Baba domes).

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Committee, committee members from the Ministry, and the British company BP.

During the discussions, the Minister underscored the mandate to deliver community services to local Kirkuk residents through the project's social benefit funds.

Al-Abadi prioritized local job creation within the Joint Management Committee's agenda while demanding strict adherence to Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) protocols to achieve a zero-accident milestone.

"Training for national personnel must focus on quality over formality to truly elevate local staff performance."

FYI

Following an initial Memorandum of Understanding signed in August 2024, the Iraqi government and BP finalized and activated a long-term redevelopment contract for the four Kirkuk fields in March and October 2025. 

The partnership aims to lift crude oil production past 420,000 barrels per day and eliminate wasteful gas flaring. 

To distribute development costs and leverage global technical expertise, BP established a powerful operating consortium in July 2026 by selling a 42% stake to U.S.-based ConocoPhillips and a 15% stake to Turkey's state-owned Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO). 

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