New oil minister targets gas self-sufficiency by 2030, calls export halt a ‘major problem’

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s new Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair said Saturday the government aims to achieve gas self-sufficiency by 2030 through expanding domestic fields and reducing imports, while acknowledging that the halt in southern exports remains a significant challenge for the sector.

“The halt in exports represents a major problem because part of oil production depends primarily on export operations,” Khudair told the Iraqi News Agency following his assumption of office. He expressed hope that “the war in the region will end in the coming days so production capacities can return to their previous levels.”

Khudair said the ministry’s priorities include increasing production capacity, ending gas flaring and developing oil sector infrastructure. Future plans focus on the Akkas and Mansuriya gas fields. “There is no gas without oil,” he said, adding that progress toward self-sufficiency also depends on “the stability of the regional environment.”

The export halt followed the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran in late February and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iraq’s oil production collapsed from around 4.3 million barrels per day before the war to as low as 800,000 to 1.3 million bpd as vessels were unable to reach southern ports.

Iraq relies heavily on imported Iranian gas to operate power plants, with Iranian supplies supporting more than 30% of electricity generation.