KRG Ministry of Natural Resources

26 August 2010

Erbil, Kurdistan – Iraq (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Barham Salih today announced the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government and RWE. 

The RWE Group is a leading European utilities company headquartered in Essen, Germany. It has extensive experience in the building, modernisation, and upgrading of energy infrastructure. 

Under the agreement, RWE will provide assistance to the KRG in the development of a gas transmission and distribution network (including grid planning), and training aimed at increasing technical skills of the citizens of the Kurdistan Region. 

“This is a major step forward in our planning,” the Prime Minister said. “RWE will bring the know-how and insights of one of Europe’s most important gas distribution companies to Kurdistan. We will be planning and designing our local gas transmission and distribution network using the most modern techniques.” 

The Prime Minister added, “Kurdistan is blessed with much gas. Before any export, our gas will be used to meet the needs of the people of the Kurdistan Region and neighboring areas. These resources are being developed for the people of Iraq in accordance with the Constitution. Gas not needed at home will be available for export.” 

The KRG Minister of Natural Resources, Dr Ashti Hawrami said in London in June that the Government anticipates that the Kurdistan Region will have gas reserves of between 100 and 200 trillion standard cubic feet – more than enough to meet all domestic requirements and to generate substantial revenues for Iraq from the sale of excess gas to Turkey and Europe. 

Gas from the Kurdistan Region is expected to be exported via the Nabucco pipeline, which will directly link major fields in the Caspian region and the Middle East to European consumer markets. At a meeting in Ankara this week, the Nabucco project steering committee confirmed plans to source gas from two feeder lines in Georgia and Iraq. 

See RWE press release