At a Glance

• Iraq’s Ministry of Oil establishes a strategic plan to boost natural gas production at the Ajeel field to 300 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d).
• Development blueprint finalized in an expanded meeting chaired by Upstream and Natural Gas Undersecretaries alongside North Gas and North Oil executives.
• Captured gas will feed directly into the national grid to operate power generation plants and curb associated gas flaring.
• Upstream development programs extend to additional fields across Kirkuk, Saladin, Ninawa, Diyala, and Anbar.

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The Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced a comprehensive strategic plan to scale up natural gas production capacity at the Ajeel field to 300 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), advancing government efforts to expand domestic gas capture, power electricity generation, and reduce reliance on energy imports.

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• Safeguarding National Hydrocarbon Wealth:"Developing the Ajeel field holds special importance for safeguarding hydrocarbon resources and preventing the waste and flaring of associated gas." — Nasir Aziz, Undersecretary for Upstream Affairs
• Powering National Grid Infrastructure:"Investing in the volume of gas produced from the Ajeel field and injecting it into the national grid provides an essential source to operate power generation stations." — Izzat Saber, Undersecretary for Natural Gas Affairs
• Strategic Objectives:
  • Scaling up gas gathering and processing at Ajeel to 300 MMcf/d. Egypt Oil & Gas
  • Directing dry gas directly into local power generation facilities.
  • Eliminating associated gas flaring across northern and western oilfields.

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High-Level Leadership Finalizes Development Blueprint

The strategy was formalized during an expanded meeting led by Nasir Aziz, Undersecretary for Upstream Affairs, and Omed Sabah / Ezzeddin (Izzat) Saber, Undersecretary for Natural Gas Affairs. The discussion convened the General Managers of the North Gas Company and North Oil Company, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Oil's planning and research departments, to establish operational timelines for the field's infrastructure.

Undersecretary Izzat Saber emphasized that reaching the 300 MMcf/d benchmark at Ajeel will significantly bolster Iraq’s national natural gas production system. The initiative forms part of a broader Ministry of Oil program designed to concurrently elevate crude oil output and capture associated gas reserves that were previously flared or unutilized.

Multi-Governorate Field Upgrades

Ministry officials noted that the upstream initiative extends beyond the Ajeel structure. Parallel expansion programs are underway across oil and gas fields located throughout five key governorates: Kirkuk, Saladin, Ninawa, Diyala, and Anbar. The ultimate goal of these combined development projects is to convert captured associated gas into reliable electricity, support domestic domestic energy demands, and strengthen Iraq's broader economic stability.

FYI

Located in Saladin Governorate approximately 85 kilometers southeast of Kirkuk, the Ajeel field was discovered in 1977 and began commercial production in 1994 under the state-operated North Oil Company. The field sustained severe infrastructural damage during conflict with ISIS, interrupting operations and necessitating extensive rehabilitation of its degassing and gathering networks. Rebuilding Ajeel’s gas capture capacity aligns with Iraq's nationwide goal to eliminate routine gas flaring by 2028-2029. By converting associated gas into grid-ready power, Iraq seeks to solve persistent domestic electricity shortages while retaining valuable hydrocarbon resources for state revenue.

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