Iraq Ranks Third Worst in the World for Natural Gas Flaring

Data from the Energy Research Unit revealed that Iraq ranked third among the worst countries in the world for natural gas flaring. In its report, it stated that "global gas flaring decreased by 5.9 billion cubic meters in the year 2022 compared to the previous year, with an annual decline rate of 4%." It noted that "Iraq flared approximately 17.8 billion cubic meters in 2022, compared to 17.7 billion cubic meters in 2021, showing an annual growth rate of 0.3%." The report highlighted that "countries like Russia, Iran, the United States, Mexico, Libya, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia have successfully reduced gas flaring resulting from their oil operations, contributing to the global overall decline." Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani confirms that his government is committed to zeroing out the flaring of associated natural gas during oil extraction and expresses his determination to make Iraq "active" in the global gas market.