Iraqi Oil official: Chamchamal field key to energy future
Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Kurdistan Regionholds significant natural gas reserves, with the Chamchamal field as thelargest in the country due to its high purity levels of 97%, a senior oilofficial said on Tuesday.
The Iraqi Ministry of Oil's GasAffairs Department Director Izzat Saber said, “Kurdistan possesses immense gaswealth, making it a strategic resource for national energy needs.”
He noted that Chamchamal’shigh-purity gas can be directly harnessed for energy production and that Iraqrelies on natural gas for 45% of its electricity generation and has reservescapable of sustaining energy demand for the next 100 years.
Despite its vast resources, Iraqcontinues to struggle with chronic power shortages, failing to provideround-the-clock electricity.
Addressing this crisis requires morethan increased production, Saber explained, emphasizing the need for powersector restructuring and improved consumption management through coordinationbetween the government and citizens.
Official data shows that Iraq’sKurdistan Region holds vast natural gas reserves, estimated at approximately700 billion cubic meters, accounting for about 20% of Iraq's total provenreserves, and is home to some of the purest natural gas in Iraq.
It currently produces approximately5.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, with projections indicatingthat output could triple by 2030 and sixfold by 2040.
