Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi highlighted on Sunday the importance of recovering associated gas, given Iraq’s significant potential in this sector.

Al-Zaidi’s remarks took place during his meeting in Baghdad with Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne, and President of ConocoPhilips, Andy O’Brien, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The meeting addressed strategies for developing oil and associated gas resources at the Bin Umar field in the southern province of Basra. Additionally, they discussed establishing a timeline for increasing oil and gas production from this field and enhancing output at other fields.

Al-Zaidi outlined the government’s plans to fully utilize the country’s gas resources and permanently stop gas imports within the next few years.

Pouyanne and O’Brien expressed their willingness to increase efforts to meet the established timelines for increasing production rates.

The Bin Umar field stands as one of southern Iraq’s most promising oil and gas reservoirs. The Iraqi government seeks to develop the field in partnership with a French-American consortium, an important step to stop gas flaring and achieve energy self-sufficiency.

TotalEnergies is already spearheading the massive “Integrated Gas Growth Project” in southern Iraq, an initiative focused on gas investment and solar power generation.

As a prominent US investment entity, ConocoPhillips is set to develop strategic fields and modernize them with cutting-edge technology.

Former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in June 2024 that associated gas recovery in Iraq had risen to over 60 percent, with the ultimate goal of completely ending gas flaring by 2028.