Iraq, the second-largest producer within Opec, could raise production capacity by one million barrels per day in ten years buoyed by healthy momentum in upstream activity, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
“Looking at everything on a project-by-project basis, looking at FIDs [final investment decisions], [we’re] very positive on growth for Iraq … by a million barrels per day (bpd) from 2017 to 2025. It’s over 10 years, but it’s relative,” said Ann-Louise Hittle, vice president of macro oils, at Wood Mackenzie.
The forecast by the Edinburgh-headquartered firm is conservative compared with Iraq’s own ambitions to raise production capacity. The federal Iraqi oil ministry has set aside a target of raising production capacity to 6.5 million bpd by 2022. The country produced 4.65 million bpd in September, according to the latest figures released by Opec.
Outgoing Iraqi oil minister Jabbar Al Luaibi had said earlier this year that the country was confident of breaching its desired five million bpd target this year. Iraq accounts for 8.8 per cent of proven reserves of oil worldwide, much of it is cheap, and easily extractible. However, its upstream sector has been crippled by decades of war, which forced a brain drain of talented engineers, and also led to a shutdown of refineries.
With a new Iraqi government in place, and the defeat of the Islamic State, which had taken over key fields and refineries, the government is now moving towards rehabilitating the country’s energy and power sector, including reducing the flaring of gas from its southern-oil fields.
The Iraqi government has begun to invite interest in its oil field development schemes, notably tendering a few blocks earlier this year. It also signed a two-year contract in April with China's Anton Oilfield Services and London-based Petrofac to operate its giant Majnoon field, which it took over after Anglo-Dutch major Shell's exit from the project.
The ministry also said it aimed to boost its light crude exports to a million bpd next year, even as it presses for waivers from US sanctions against its neighbour and ally Iran, with whom Baghdad had entered into an agreement to truck oil from its fields at Kirkuk.
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Read more:
Iraq to reach 'zero gas flaring' by 2021, says oil minister
Iraq could save $5.2bn in four years from flared gas reduction, says Siemens
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Iraq’s plans for waivers and production capacity boost come amid an anticipated decline in supply from Iran, which is struggling to get its oil to market prior to the imposition of sanctions by the US administration on November 4.
Wood Mackenzie estimates that 1.1 million bpd of Iranian oil is likely to be lost to the markets.
“We’re looking at fall from 3.8 to 2.7 million bpd from the spring to November,” said Ms Hittle. "China is going to be in the range of 500,000 bpd. We’re looking at continuation of exports to Turkey, exports to India on a reduced basis of 150,000 bpd. Crude will go to Syria, maybe 50,000 bpd and condensate exports will continue at a cargo-by-cargo basis at about 10,000 bpd."
WoodMackenzie however anticipates condensate exports to hold steady due to the start-up of a couple of condensate splitters in Iran.
"One has started up already and it’s going to ramp up once we go into the next year and help absorb the condensate that’s spilling out of South Pars,” she said.
South Pars is the world’s largest gas field and is shared with Qatar, which refers to the concession as North Dome.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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More on animal trafficking
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Pathaan
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THE%20SPECS
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
%3Cp%3E97%25%20of%20Jewish-Americans%20are%20concerned%20about%20the%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E76%25%20of%20US%20Jewish%20voters%20believe%20Donald%20Trump%20and%20his%20allies%20in%20the%20Republican%20Party%20are%20responsible%20for%20a%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E74%25%20of%20American%20Jews%20agreed%20that%20%E2%80%9CTrump%20and%20the%20Maga%20movement%20are%20a%20threat%20to%20Jews%20in%20America%22%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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