Basra launches new gas processing facilities to cut emissions
Shafaq News – Basra
Iraq will end gas flaring by 2029, Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani pledged on Thursday, as the government accelerates capture projects to cut emissions and curb import dependence.
Speaking at the launch of the Central Processing Facility at Basra’s al-Faihaa oil field, Abdul Ghani also introduced a new production line at the Basra Natural Gas Liquefaction (BNGL) plant, expanding capacity by a combined 330 million standard cubic feet (scf) per day.
He noted that gas capture rates have climbed from 53% to nearly 70% under the current administration, positioning Iraq closer to its Paris Agreement targets and enhancing fuel availability for power generation.
The minister also confirmed that Iraq has begun exporting both BNGL and condensates.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, present at the event, denounced flaring as a long-standing “energy failure.” He highlighted Iraq’s current gas production of 1,000 million scf/day—equivalent to 3,500 megawatts of electricity—as a sign of progress, but warned that a 4,000-megawatt deficit persists, largely due to Iran’s reduced gas deliveries under US sanctions.
Al-Sudani also set a deadline of late 2027 to eliminate flaring entirely.
In turn, Basra Gas Company Deputy Director Marfa Kazem al-Asadi stated the new CPF unit will deliver 1,000 tons of LPG and 170 million scf/day of dry gas to power plants, pushing Basra’s total processing capacity to 400 million scf/day—up 40% from prior levels.
Since its inception, Basra Gas has ramped output from 250 to over 1,000 million scf/day, meeting domestic demand and enabling exports while preventing more than 200 million tons of CO₂ emissions since 2016, al-Asadi reported.
