Baghdad: Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair affirmed on Saturday that the operations of US companies in Iraq represent a significant leap forward in developing the oil and gas industry, noting that the coming phase will see an acceleration in the implementation of oil and gas projects.

According to Iraqi News Agency, Khudair stated, “Our goal is to secure the required gas supplies and resolve the issue of gas flaring, alongside working to diversify oil export outlets.” He highlighted that a recent visit to the United States, undertaken along with the Prime Minister, resulted in several agreements aimed at supporting this approach.

Khudair emphasized that the presence of U.S. companies operating in Iraq marks a major advancement in the oil and gas sector due to the advanced technology and expertise they bring. These assets are expected to facilitate knowledge transfer and enhance the sector’s capabilities significantly.

Khudair further indicated that “the coming days will witness rapid progress in project
completion,” pointing out that the government’s directive, led by Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi, focuses on engaging in direct dialogue with companies to shorten timelines and accelerate the pace of work. The ultimate goal is to enable round-the-clock project execution.

He also explained that “the Ministry of Oil will hold a conference in the coming days, involving companies operating in the sector, to focus on mechanisms for expediting project completion.” He stressed that “the Ministry will collaborate with various other ministries to resolve issues and overcome obstacles facing these companies, thereby enabling them to execute their projects within the required timeframes.”