Iraq has started talks with Halliburton to develop a Crutch gas field in Anbar province, hoping to increase its hydrocarbon production as oil prices rise. Al Nujaba said the oil ministry has also submitted a preliminary contract for the development of the Mansourieh gas field to the Council of Ministers for approval. The ministry did not elaborate on a potential deal with Haliburton or the signed contract for the Mansouri gas field.

Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, is trying to increase its oil and gas production to take advantage of rising oil prices. The country relies heavily on the sale of hydrocarbons for revenue to propel its economy and could benefit from higher prices to accelerate its growth. Oil prices have risen more than 67% in 2021 and are now trading above seven-year highs, expected to top the $100-a-barrel market amid tight supply and rising geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe.

Iraq is also keen to partner with more international energy companies to invest in its energy sector after oil majors such as Exxon Mobil and Lukoil consider exiting political instability and security concerns. In September, Iraq signed deals worth $27 billion with France's TotalEnergies on four oil and gas projects. Total Energies will make an initial investment of $10 billion and engineering investment in the project will start immediately, said Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of Total Energies. Keywords: engineering news, engineering construction

The French oil major will invest in a project to recover natural gas flaring at three Iraqi fields and use the gas to generate electricity from a 1.5-gigawatt-capacity plant in the first phase. The move will help the country cover power shortages and use its energy reserves more efficiently.Editor/Xing Wentao