Iraq to lower production from ‘controversial’ oilfield
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s southern Basra Oil Company announced on Sunday that it would start cutting production from one of its oilfields wracked by controversy due to gas emissions and pollution levels it caused.
“The Nahr bin Omar field is the most controversial oilfield on pollution and emissions,” the official Iraqi News Agency quoted the company director, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar as saying. “It was decided to reduce the production of crude oil to a minimum, and to stop operating all oil wells in it, to provide environmental protection.”
He added that “the fields of Rumaila and West Qurna I and II have taken sound environmental measures because those affected by environmental pollution first and foremost are employees and contractors.”
“Other fields such as Arttawi and al-Lahis are 60 kilometers away from residential areas, so there is no effect of the gases emitted on citizens and nearby communities.”
Last week, the Iraqi oil ministry said the country had exported an average of 3.306 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) in January, marking the second month of decline as widespread unrest continues.
Read More: Iraqi oil export continues decline for second month
The almost 3.3 million number is lower than December’s 3.428 million bpd, itself further down from November’s 3.5 million per day average. The decline is nearly 5.7 percent of November’s export levels.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany