This was not expected at the launch, at the end of 2023, of the four-in-one oil, gas, water and solar GGIP project worth more than $10 billion. But under pressure from the Iraqi government, which wants to show that it is acting to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions – and which needs gas to power its power plants – TotalEnergies has decided to expressly build a power plant. processing oil gas from its Ratawi field, in the Basra region, southern Iraq.
With a capacity of 50 million cubic feet per day (Mcf/d), or 1.4 million cubic meters per day – enough to power 160 MW of electricity production capacity – the Ratawigaz 2025 plant will be installed near the Ratawi oil processing plant. It is due to enter service at the end of 2025 and will cost $265 million. Its construction was entrusted to the Italian Italfluid Geoenergy, with TotalEnergies responsible for its connection to the gas network.
For TotalEnergies, its commissioning will allow it to display the Ratawi oil field as the least emitting, with around 10 grams of CO2 equivalent per barrel. And above all to achieve its own objectives of reducing routine flaring on its farms.
A “small” power plant while waiting for the big one
A 300 Mcf/d gas processing plant is however planned in the GGIP project, 45% owned by TotalEnergies, 30% by the Basra Oil Company and 25% by QatarEnergy. It must treat the gases resulting from the processing of oil extracted from the Ratawi fields, but also from Majnoon and West Qurna, in particular to extract hydrogen sulphide (H2S), in order to make it injectable into the gas networks.
But the latter, whose construction must also begin in 2025, will not come into service until 2027. Too late, to satisfy the Iraqi government which “wants to show tangible results on the reduction of flaring”, we indicate. at TotalEnergies. And which seeks to reduce its gas imports from neighboring Iran.
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
