Iraq plans to eliminate gas flaring by early 2029 and expand domestic gas production through new projects involving Chevron, ExxonMobil and HKN, Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on October 30.

The projects will target both free and associated gas and include developments at the Nasiriyah field and four exploration blocks, Khudair said.

The ministry is pursuing two parallel objectives: ending gas flaring and increasing production capacity to achieve domestic gas self-sufficiency in the coming years, he added.

Khudair expected the projects to boost gas output and improve the utilization of Iraq’s gas resources, alongside efforts to increase oil production and maximize the value of existing fields.

Iraq remains one of the world’s largest gas-flaring countries, with inadequate infrastructure limiting the capture and use of gas produced alongside oil. Capturing this resource could help meet domestic power demand and reduce reliance on imported gas, according to the US Energy Information Administration.