Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Iraq invites international bidders to Mansuriya gas field

Iraq invites international bidders to Mansuriya gas field

As Baghdad feels added strain from OPEC+ production cuts and continuing economic woes, the country invites international energy companies to compete for oil and gas development.
Iraq has invited international bidders to develop its Mansuriya gas field near the Iranian border, Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar told the state news agency INA last week. The invitation comes after the termination of a contract with a group led by Turkey’s state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corp. that also included Kuwait Energy PLC and the Korean Gas Corp.

The contract’s repeal and renewed efforts to entice fresh bidders adds more pressure on the state after Jabbar said today that oil projects in the country are being delayed. The delays are caused by cuts demanded by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies led by Russia (OPEC+) in an attempt to inject stability to global oil prices.

Iraq signed more than a dozen oil and gas field development contracts when it broadly opened the energy sector to development in 2010. The Turkish Petroleum-led consortium also included Kuwait Energy, an independent oil and gas exploration company focused on the Middle East and North Africa, and Korean Gas, a public natural gas company established by the South Korean government.

The group won a bid in 2011 to develop the Mansuriya field. At the time, the consortium accepted the Iraqi Oil Ministry’s offer price of $7 per barrel of oil equivalent. Located in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, Mansuriya is near the country’s border with Iran and was the final field in Iraq’s energy auction that year.

Commercial production was set to begin in 2015. But work was halted by the June 2014 invasion of the Islamic State (IS). Insurgents never fully overtook the field, although they temporarily took control of at least two wells; The militants did hold territory nearby from which they conducted attacks.

The consortium declared force majeure — unforeseeable circumstances that prevented them from fulfilling a contract — but by mid-2017 were negotiating terms for the contract as IS was pushed from the area.

Even after repeated government requests to resume development work and reassurances that security had indeed returned, the Turkish Petroleum-led group resisted resuming development efforts. And despite a 20-year technical service contract, the group failed to produce any gas from the field.

So in 2018, Iraq ordered state-run Midland Oil Co. to develop the field, which is estimated to hold 4.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

“We need to start gas production from Mansuriya to feed the power stations and cope with electricity shortages,” an Oil Ministry official told Reuters in 2018.

Recently, oil projects in the state have slowed due to the country’s economic woes that have fueled Baghdad’s shortage of cash, Jabbar said at an Iraq Petroleum conference today. That situation is exacerbated by the country's agreement with OPEC+, where Iraq agreed to curb its oil output until the end of the year. However, because OPEC+ found that Iraq overproduced from May to September, the intergovernmental organization requested that the state make additional cuts. Jabbar said there is also added economic strain as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has not been contributing to agreed-upon limits.

Iraq has invited international energy companies to compete to develop the country’s many energy fields. The Oil Ministry is tasked with finding reliable partners while also reassuring them that oil and gas fields will remain safe from attacks by IS and other militant groups hiding in nearby mountainous areas. Meetings with international companies have been ongoing. Last week, Jabbar met with Patrick Pouyanne, the chief executive of Total SE, a French multinational integrated oil and gas company. The pair discussed solutions to developing the Akkas and Mansuriya fields.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×