Peregraf
Under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul-Ghani Al-Sawad, Iraq has signed a major contract to construct a 950-kilometer seawater distribution pipeline network to support the development of its southern oil fields. The agreement was concluded between the Basra Oil Company and the Chinese company CPP.
Minister Abdul-Ghani said the project represents a cornerstone in Iraq’s efforts to sustain crude oil production and expand gas investment, in line with the government’s economic program. “This strategic project is vital to maintaining reservoir pressure and ensuring the sustainability of production in key fields such as Rumaila, Zubair, West Qurna 1 and 2, and Majnoon,” the minister stated. He added that the project would also supply water to the oil fields in Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces.
The plan includes building a seawater treatment facility with a capacity of 5 million barrels per day, expandable to 7–8 million barrels in the future. The treated seawater will replace the current use of river and groundwater for well injection, freeing up the equivalent of 5 million cubic meters of freshwater for agricultural and human consumption.
Abdul-Ghani stressed that the project complements earlier contracts signed with France’s TotalEnergies and its partners to develop the Basra Gas Project and raise production at the Artawi field to 210,000 barrels per day.
Basra Oil Company Director General Bassem Abdul Karim described the pipeline contract as “a major step forward,” highlighting its integration with the desalination plant project signed with TotalEnergies and South Korea’s Hyundai. “We appreciate the government and ministry’s support in moving forward with these strategic developments,” he said.
Undersecretary for Extraction Affairs, Bassem Mohammed Khudair, emphasized that the project marks the launch of two critical phases: the desalination plant and the pipeline network. “This demonstrates the ministry’s mature vision and integrated strategy for harnessing Iraq’s oil wealth,” he noted.
Representatives from CPP, the project’s contractor, and ILF, the supervising consultancy, pledged to deliver the project within the agreed standards and timeframe.
The Ministry of Oil underscored that the seawater project is one of Iraq’s most ambitious energy infrastructure initiatives, aimed at securing long-term oil production and contributing to economic stability.