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Iraq’s Oil Ministry plans to double electricity generation from the West Qurna 2 oil field using associated gas with output reaching 220 million standard cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), state-owned Iraqi News Agency said in a report
Hatem Abdul Imam, head of field development at Basra Oil Company, said 180 MMcf/d of associated gas is supplied to TotalEnergies under contract, with the remainder used for on-site power generation.
“The field’s Amine facility currently powers three [simple cycle] turbines producing about 125 megawatts (MW). We plan to install three additional turbines, which will raise capacity to 250 MW by the end of 2027,” Abdul Imam said.
He said a third expansion phase is under study, as technical assessments show power requirements will exceed 350 MW once crude production rises to 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 2031.
A new Amine Unit is under construction and the total number of turbines is expected to rise to nine, running on 40–45 MMcf/d of gas remaining after deliveries to TotalEnergies, the report added.
Amine treatment involves removal of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from natural gas to ensure its quality before further processing.
Turkey-based ENKA executed the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for the 3 x 42 MW Simple Cycle Power Generation Plant and Power Distribution Project for West Qurna 2, according to its website. The contract was awarded in December 2011 by Lukoil.
(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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