ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) aims to double natural gas production this year, a senior official said Tuesday, as electricity demand rises during the summer and the Region expands round-the-clock power supply.
“We aim to reach one billion cubic feet per day this year, meaning production needs to double,” Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, told Rudaw’s Nwenar Fatih in an interview on Tuesday.
“Discussions have been held with Dana Gas, and the outcome will be announced within the coming days,” he said.
The UAE-based Dana Gas, alongside its affiliate Crescent Petroleum, operates the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, which supplies fuel for a large share of the Kurdistan Region’s electricity generation.
Ahmad said gas production has yet to return to levels seen before the Iran war.
Dana Gas halted supplies to power stations after the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel erupted on February 28, when hundreds of drones and missiles targeted the Kurdistan Region. The disruption reduced electricity supply from 24 hours a day to between five and eight hours in most areas. Operations resumed in April, days after a ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Ahmad said Khor Mor currently produces around 520 million cubic feet of gas per day, while the Khurmala field in Erbil province produces between 100 and 120 million cubic feet.
“The Kurdistan Region has a production capacity of up to 8,000 megawatts,” he said, adding that the electricity ministry has contracts with 14 power-generation companies.
Iraq has also begun purchasing electricity from the Kurdistan Region to boost supply in several provinces.
According to Ahmad, around 1,300 megawatts are currently being exported to federal Iraqi provinces, while Baghdad has requested 2,000 megawatts.
The Kurdistan Region is meanwhile moving closer to achieving an uninterrupted electricity supply across its territory through the Runaki project, a KRG initiative aimed at reforming and stabilizing the power sector.
Addressing recent electricity shortages, Ahmad said, “The problem is temporary and is not related to the electricity infrastructure; it's linked to gas production at Khor Mor, which has not been at the required level. We are optimistic the issue will be resolved within the coming days.”
He noted that the main issue lies in insufficient gas production.
“This is the first summer season in which 85 percent of Kurdistan Region residents have joined the Runaki Project,” he said, adding that the number of subscribers has doubled since last year.
Ahmad said electricity demand is expected to reach between 3,900 and 4,400 megawatts this summer, while power generation on Tuesday stood at 4,000 megawatts. He noted that output remains dependent on gas production levels.
The senior KRG official also said that since the launch of the Runaki project, people have been using electricity “more efficiently and conserving more compared to last year.”
He also said KRG data shows households in Erbil and Sulaimani consume less electricity than those in Duhok.
“Changing the culture of electricity use takes time,” he said, explaining that the Runaki project was introduced first in Erbil and Sulaimani, while Duhok was the last province to join.
