Iraq loses 1,900 MW after gas supply drop at Rumaila power plant

Shafaq News- Basra

A sudden drop in gas supplies to the Rumaila gas power station in Basra caused a technical disruption that led to the rapid loss of about 1,900 megawatts of electricity generation, triggering a temporary collapse in voltage at the facility and the disconnection of several transmission lines and generating units.

In a statement, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said the sudden decline in fuel supply affected the stability of the national grid, forcing multiple production units to shut down. Technical teams from the National Control Center and the operations department have begun restoring transmission lines and reconnecting generating stations.

The ministry later reported a gradual return of electricity in several provinces as power plants resumed operations in northern Iraq, including facilities in Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Saladin, under the supervision of Deputy Minister for Transmission and Distribution Khaled Ghazai al-Maadhidi in coordination with the national control center.

Work is also underway to restart stations in Baghdad and other central and southern provinces, the ministry said, to restore full stability to the national power grid.

Shafaq News correspondent in Dhi Qar confirmed that electricity supply has begun returning gradually.

According to the Eco Iraq Observatory, Iraq is currently losing an estimated $128 million per day due to the suspension of production at the Rumaila oil field and several fields in the Kurdistan Region amid the fallout from the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Rumaila, Iraq’s largest oil field and the world’s second largest, produces around 1.4 million barrels per day, while production capacity in the Kurdistan Region is estimated at about 200,000 barrels daily, bringing total halted output to roughly 1.6 million barrels per day, the Eco Iraq observatory said, warning that based on an oil price of $80 per barrel, the losses could reach nearly $900 million within a week and exceed $3.8 billion if the suspension continues for a full month.

Local sources told Shafaq News that production at the Rumaila field was halted after export disruptions linked to regional military activity caused storage tanks at the field to reach capacity.

In response, units of the Iraqi Army deployed across the Al-Zubair district west of Basra, supported by armored vehicles, to secure oil fields and other critical infrastructure as tensions escalate between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Economist Mohammed al-Hasani told Shafaq News that the shutdown of major fields such as Rumaila, combined with precautionary closures in the Kurdistan Region and disruptions to shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, poses a compounded financial challenge to Iraq’s state revenues. He suggested several temporary measures, including using available storage capacity to avoid additional shutdowns and selling future oil cargoes through short-term contracts that would provide the government with advance payments until exports fully resume.

Several international energy companies have already taken preventive steps. Gulf Keystone Petroleum suspended operations at the Shaikan field in the Kurdistan Region, while Dana Gas and DNO announced similar measures amid the escalating regional security situation.