BAGHDAD- Iraq's oil ministry said on Tuesday it would sign an agreement on Wednesday with U.S. energy company Honeywell to process natural gas from its Artawi southern oilfield.

The memorandum of understanding would "develop later" into a contract to process gas from five oilfields, ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; editing by John Davison and Jason Neely) ((ahmed.rasheed@thomsonreuters.com; +964-7901-947-131; Reuters Messaging: ahmed.rasheed.thomsonreuters.com@thomsonreuters.net))