The Iraqi government is committed to diversifying its sources of gas imports, according to Saad Jasim, director of the ministry’s Energy Directorate. "There is a government decision and political will to secure alternative sources for gas," he stated.
Iraq's natural gas reserves total 127.3 trillion cubic feet, 75% of it is associated with oil fields, most of which is flared. This means that Iraq remains heavily reliant on gas imports to generate electricity, mainly from Iran.
Waivers from the United States allow Iraq to bypass American sanctions on Iran, providing a temporary solution to its energy needs. However, United States President Donald Trump in February reimplemented his "maximum pressure" policy aimed at reducing Iran's oil exports to zero. Washington is also reviewing all existing sanctions waivers, including those covering Iraq’s energy imports from Iran.
On Saturday, Iraqi government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi assured Rudaw that Iraq is fully prepared for the possibility of the US rescinding its waiver.
Jasim confirmed that negotiations with Turkmenistan are ongoing, with Iraq having made necessary preparations to import gas from the Central Asian country. The process is awaiting some official international approvals before it can move forward.
A US State Department spokesperson expressed hope that Iraq would begin leveraging the natural gas resources of the Kurdistan Region to reduce its dependence on Iranian gas.
Hassan Hafidh, former spokesperson for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), however, expressed skepticism about the Kurdistan Region’s ability to meet Iraq's electricity demands solely with local gas supplies.
"Gas produced from the Khor Mor field in the Kurdistan Region does not even meet local needs in the region," Hafidh explained. "The estimated production is 600 million cubic feet, primarily used for local electricity generation. This amount is insufficient to fully cover the region's demand."