Iran resumes gas supply to Iraq:Envoy
Iran’s ambassador in Baghdad announced the resumption of exporting natural gas to Iraq under the current agreement on a daily supply of 40 million to 50 million cubic meters (mcm).
Recently, Iran carried out annual maintenance operations on gas pipelines used for exports to Iraq, as there was a drop in gas flow, but the flow did not reach zero, and has now returned to its normal state.
Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq said that Iran always supports Iraq in the energy field and provides its services to the Arab country whether through the export of gas or the direct export of electricity.
Iran emphasizes that there will an increasing trend of gas flow to Iraq next year (to start March 20, 2024), the envoy added.
Earlier, a member of the Presiding Board of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce said that Iran’s exports of products to neighboring Iraq will reach $12 billion by the end of the current Iranian year (March 19, 2024).
In May 2023, Iran and Iraq signed a major petroleum cooperation agreement amid expanding ties between the two energy-rich neighbors.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani watched on as Iranian and Iraqi oil ministers signed a deal in the Iraqi capital Baghdad to facilitate bilateral cooperation on petroleum industry projects.
Iranian Oil Ministry’s news service Shana said that a joint working group will pursue the implementation of the agreement during regular meetings in the future.
It said Oil Minister Javad Owji had held extensive talks with premier Sudani earlier to discuss an array of petroleum industry issues ranging from oil fields shared between the two countries to Iraq’s access to technical and engineering services from Iranian companies.
A separate report said that Sudani and Iraqi oil minister Hayan Abdul Ghani had emphasized in their meetings with Owji the need for increased cooperation with Iran on the issue of natural gas.
Iran is a major supplier of natural gas to Iraq as the Arab country, which is the third largest crude oil exporter in the world, still struggles with rising demands for natural gas in its power plants.
Recent reports have suggested there has been an increase in the supply of natural gas from Iran to Iraq.
Iranian authorities say Iraq has settled a part of the huge debts it owed to Iran for previous gas supplies.