Iraq is studying understandings with Qatar and Algeria to import gas to operate electric power production plants, after the decline in gas supplies from neighboring Iran and its negative repercussions on the operation of electric power production plants in Iraq.
A spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, Ahmed Al-Abadi, said - in a press statement - that the Iranian gas problem is still continuing, as Iran is currently supplying Iraq with quantities of up to 8.5 million cubic meters per day only out of the contracted quantity of 50 million cubic meters per day in the winter And 70 million cubic meters per day in the summer.
He explained that Iraq is currently dependent on Iranian gas to operate units with a production capacity of 6,500 megawatts of the country's electrical system, and that the decline of Iranian gas in this way has caused a decline in the rates of electrical power production in Iraq.
Al-Abadi said that a delegation from the Ministry of Electricity went to Iran to negotiate over previous debts owed by Iraq, estimated at two billion and 600 million dollars, as a result of the supply of Iranian gas to Iraq.
He stated that the Iraqi Oil Ministry is striving to fill the shortage of gas supplies, and that the ministry has plans to rehabilitate some gas fields in Iraq.
In a previous report - to Al-Jazeera Net, published last January - the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity welcomed the Ministry of Oil’s move to import gas from Qatar to increase the supply of electricity hours for citizens, as power outages are frequent, and the Ministry of Electricity attributes the lack of electricity supply to the lack of sufficient gas to operate electrical stations.
Negotiations between Iraq and Qatar had begun about buying gas during the government of Haider al-Abadi, but they stopped for many reasons, including the government’s preference to increase investment in gas associated with production and gas fields in Diyala and Anbar, but so far Iraq is still burning 1,214 “milk” daily, and companies have not shown International interest in investing in gas fields.
Al-Abadi considered that the decline of Iranian gas caused a decline in the rates of electric power production in Iraq (Al-Jazeera Net)
energy security
The Iraqis are demanding an end to the electricity crisis that has been going on since 2003, despite the country's spending of more than 81 billion dollars, according to the parliamentary committee formed to look into electricity contracts, in addition to stopping the burning of associated gas.
On the other hand, the researcher in energy affairs, Jaafar Al-Barrak, told Al-Jazeera Net earlier that diversification of energy sources is part of Iraq's energy security, because the country will continue to need to import gas.
He added that Qatari gas is considered pure gas because it is processed in an excellent manner compared to Iranian gas, explaining that the matter will remain in the media unless infrastructure is available to link the Gulf and the Iraqi national gas system.