Iraq's oil ministry has signed an agreement with China's Geo-Jade Petroleum and local firm Basra Crescent to expand the capacity of the 20,000 b/d Tuba oil field and develop a suite of downstream and power assets, in a move that mirrors recent integrated energy deals with international partners.
A key component of the South Basrah Integrated Energy Project will be to raise Tuba's production capacity to 100,000 b/d, oil minister Hayan Abdulghani said at the signing ceremony in Baghdad on 21 May. The project will also include processing of up to 50mn ft³/d of associated gas.
Downstream components include a 200,000 b/d refinery, a 620,000 t/yr petrochemical plant and a 520,000 t/yr fertilizer facility. A 650MW thermal power plant and a 400MW solar plant will also be part of the project, Abdulghani said.
No financial details or project timelines were disclosed.
The agreement marks a further step in Geo-Jade's expansion in Iraq, following its successful participation in the country's fifth and sixth licensing rounds. While the company now holds multiple upstream assets in Iraq, it has yet to bring any into production.
The deal follows a similar multi-billion dollar agreement signed with TotalEnergies in 2023, which bundled gas processing, water treatment and solar power with development of the Ratawi field. In February this year, BP signed a major upstream deal with Iraq that also includes power, water and potentially exploration.
