Iraq's Ministry of Oil is planning to end the flaring of gas associated with crude oil production in the country's southern, central and northern fields within four years, a top government official said. 

Mudher Muhammed Saleh, the financial advisor to the Iraqi government, told Zawya Projects that 65-75 percent of associated gas is flared in the southern and central fields, and Kirkuk fields in the north. 

In 2017, the World Bank said Iraq flares over 16 billion cubic meters of associated gas each year, making it the second-largest gas flaring country in the world. 

Saleh said the plan will be implemented in four years or less in Rumaila, Zubair and West Qurna 2 fields. 

He said the associated gas would be captured and treated in specialised facilities for use as fuel in gas-fired power plants, which will help address the country’s electricity shortages while also its greenhouse gas emissions. 

In September last year, S&P Global had reported that capturing and using 40 percent of its flared gas could help Iraq generate more than 3.3 gigawatts of electricity 

(Reporting by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon) 

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com) 

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