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MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

up speed. One year into the mandate of the “According to the deal made with Iran, Ministry of Electricity revealed that Iraq had
11th administration, SP12 came online in they were supposed to send us 40 million signed a deal with the Arab Gulf Cooperation
March 2015. Then, SP15 and SP16 became cubic metre (mcm) of gas per day to Iraq, Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA)
operational in January 2016. SP17 & 18, but they have reduced it to only 10 mcm, for electricity imports in a Thursday report
SP19, SP20 and SP21 came online in April which has reduced our electricity production published by state-owned newspaper al-
2017 to help Iran outperform Qatar in gas by 4,000 megawatts,” spokesperson Ahmad Sabaah.
recovery. Then, in March 2019, the refineries Moussa told Rudaw on Wednesday. Iraq has met 80% of its obligations required
of SP13 and SP22-24 came online. In 2019, Iran supposedly cannot supply the full in a deal to begin importing 500 megawatts of
six platforms were installed and four became amount, because it needs more of the product electricity from Gulf states, Moussa told state
operational in SP14 and SP22-24. domestically. media back in July.
A number of remaining refineries in “They said the weather has gotten cold RUDAW
SP13 and SP22-24 are to be completed in the in Iran, and we need more gas ourselves,”
current calendar year. Moussa said of his conversations with
Despite all problems and restrictions authorities in Iran. SERVICES
including foreign constructors not honouring “This reduction has mainly affected
their pledges, owing to Iranian engineers; the capital city of Baghdad and the central Aramco and Baker Hughes
turbo expanders would start work in the provinces of Iraq, less so the southern
refinery of SP13, SP19 and SP22-24. provinces,” he added. JV to develop non-metallic
Activating the contractor for the onshore Moussa added that the Ministry of
sector of SP14 is another measure taken in the Electricity has contacted the Ministry of Oil products
South Pars development. Except for SP11, all requesting help with the crisis “temporarily”.
phases have become operational and only the Iraq had signed a two-year contract with Oil giant Saudi Aramco and energy services
SP14 refinery remains to become operational. Iran renewing commitments to import company Baker Hughes have formed a 50/50
Based on planning, the first train of SP14 Iranian gas for electricity, the Islamic Republic joint venture, Novel, to develop a broad
refinery would be launched by the end of the News Agency (IRNA) reported back in June. range of non-metallic products for multiple
current calendar year. The gas produced at Before this reduction, Iran exported 1,200- applications in the energy sector.
SP14 is currently taken to the refinery of SP12 1,500 megawatts of electricity to Iraq on a Novel’s new plant is being constructed
and SP19 for processing. daily basis, in addition to 38-40 million cubic at Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Energy Park
Completion of eight gas condensate storage metre of natural gas to feed several of Iraq’s (SPARK), a 50 sq km energy city aimed
tanks, each with capacity of 500,000 b/d, is power stations, according to Sayyid Hamid at making the kingdom a global energy,
another achievement of Iranian contractors Hosseini, secretary general of Iran-Iraq Joint industrial and technology hub.
in South Pars. These tanks would supply Chamber of Commerce. The new facility will not only create jobs, it
feedstock to the Persian Gulf Star refinery that Iraq has long suffered from chronic outages will also help to foster growth of an emerging
runs on gas condensate. and shortages of electricity in a country sector in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision
According to Meshkinfam, the second where summer temperatures reach 50 degrees 2030 to diversify the economy away from oil,
stage of South Pars development would Celsius. Rampant electricity shortages have in the companies said in a statement without
involve “maintaining and preserving past years been a rallying call for protestors, disclosing the size of their investment.
production” because this field accounts for a most notably in the summer of 2018. REUTERS
big share of energy supply in the country. In January, a spokesperson for Iraq’s
South Pars supplies more than 75% of
Iran’s gas needs, as well as 40% of gasoline
production needs. That is why POGC plans to
keep the 75% share unchanged by developing
other fields and boosting pressure in the
South Pars wells over 25 years.
Meshkinfam said POGC would proceed
with its operations, hiring Iranian labor. “We
have made plans to avert any disruption in gas
production in the event of persistent sanctions
and by relying on homegrown knowledge
and capacity, we will pursue development and
production.”
IRAN PETROLEUM
Central Iraq struggles with

electricity as Iran cuts gas

The electricity supply in Iraq’s central
provinces has decreased after Iranian gas
imports dried up with the arrival of winter,
according to the spokesperson of Iraq’s
Ministry of Electricity.

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