Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani presided today, Sunday, over the signing ceremony of the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) between Iraq’s Ministry of Oil, Total Energies (France), Basra Oil Company, and QatarEnergy.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): that “Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received today the Qatari Minister of Energy and the CEO of Total, with their accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Minister of Oil, the Prime Minister’s Advisor for Energy Affairs, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Extraction Affairs.”
The event was attended by Qatari Minister of Energy Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Total Energies CEO Mr. Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman of ENKA (Turkey) Mr. Mehmet Tara, Vice President of CPECC (China) Mr. Liu Kai, and Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai (Korea) Mr. Ryu Seongan, in addition to the Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, the Prime Minister’s Advisor for Energy Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Oil for Extraction Affairs, and several senior officials from the Ministry of Oil.
The Prime Minister welcomed the Qatari Minister of Energy and the CEO of Total Energies, along with their delegations, in the presence of the Iraqi Minister of Oil, the Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor, and the Deputy Minister of Oil for Extraction.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Al-Sudani congratulated the parties on signing the agreements, emphasizing that the growth of Qatari investment, and foreign investment more broadly, in Iraq reflects the country’s improving investment climate. He reaffirmed that the Iraqi market is open to reputable and committed companies to participate in all sectors, particularly infrastructure, economic development, and public services.
The Qatari Minister conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar to the Prime Minister and expressed his country’s desire to expand cooperation, investment, and long-term development partnerships with Iraq. The CEO of Total Energies also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to growing its operations in Iraq, citing the country’s significant economic progress and improved national security.
The signed agreements include:
1. Joint Operating Agreement (JOA):
A joint operating agreement between the Ministry of Oil (represented by Basra Oil Company), Qatar Energy (representing the Qatari Ministry of Energy), and Total Energies, which will serve as the lead operator for the Artawi Field under the Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP).
2. Seawater Treatment Facility (STF):
An agreement between Total Energies and Hyundai (Korea) for the construction of a seawater treatment plant with a design capacity of 7.5 million barrels per day. The treated seawater will be used for injection into southern oil fields to increase reservoir pressure.
3. Central Oil and Gas Processing Facility:
An agreement between Total Energies and ENKA (Turkey) to construct a facility with a daily production capacity of 210,000 barrels of oil, 163 million standard cubic feet of gas, and 240,000 barrels of water for injection. The facility will also incorporate zero gas flaring technology.
4. Gas Processing Plant:
An agreement between Total Energies and CPECC (China) to capture and process associated gas from Artawi and nearby fields. The plant will have a total capacity of 600 million standard cubic feet per day, implemented in two phases of 300 MMscfd each.
In conclusion, Prime Minister Al-Sudani urged all stakeholders to accelerate implementation; particularly the components related to gas production and clean solar energy generation. These efforts will contribute to the national power grid with an additional 1,000 megawatts, to be delivered in phases starting early next year, God willing.
