Bazerkan oil field, south of Baghdad
Gas at the heart of Iraq’s transition
While oil has grabbed the headlines for Iraq, tapping its gas potential could transform the country’s economic fortunes
Iraq is a global oil giant, home to c.144bn bl of recoverable reserves, based on a conservative recovery factor of 17-29pc. But it also has the potential to be a gas player of international significance if it can overcome challenges to unlocking this opportunity. Given it provides more than 90pc of government funding, it is no surprise that the export of the vast majority of Iraq’s c.5mn bl/d of oil production attracts greater attention. It is also entirely understandable—with this budget centrality—that Baghdad has ambitions to increase output to 8mn bl/d by 2027. There remain large swathes of the country that are underexplored. And the government is recalculating its recoverable reserve fi
Also in this section
19 March 2026
The regional crisis highlights the undervalued role of fixed pipelines in the age of tanker flexibility
18 March 2026
Rising LNG exports and AI-driven power demand have raised concerns that US gas prices could climb sharply, but analysts say abundant shale supply and continued productivity gains should keep Henry Hub within a range that preserves the competitiveness of US LNG
18 March 2026
Risks of shortages in oil products may cause world leaders to panic and make mistakes instead of letting the market do what it does best
17 March 2026
The crisis in the Middle East has put LNG’s ability to offer security and flexibility under uncomfortable scrutiny
