TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy Advance Major Iraq Energy Initiative

September 15, 2025

TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy announced Monday the start of construction on the final two major components of Iraq’s Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP). The agreements, which include the Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP) and the full field development of the Ratawi oil field, were confirmed during a meeting in Baghdad between senior company and Iraqi government officials.

The GGIP is a joint venture led by French energy company TotalEnergies, which holds a 45% stake and operates the project, alongside its partners Basra Oil Company, with a 30% share, and QatarEnergy, with 25%. These latest contract signings mean all four segments of the project—natural gas, solar, oil, and water—are now in the execution phase. The initiative aims to enhance Iraq’s energy independence and electricity supply while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The CSSP, a key infrastructure project for water management, will be built on the coast near the town of Um Qasr. It is designed to process and transport up to 5 million barrels of treated seawater per day to major oil fields in southern Iraq. This will allow oil producers to substitute freshwater, currently sourced from the Tigris, Euphrates, and local aquifers, to maintain pressure in oil wells. The project is expected to free up to 250,000 cubic meters of freshwater daily for local agricultural and irrigation needs, helping to alleviate regional water stress.

In parallel, the full field development of the Ratawi oil field, which began its first phase in September 2023, is moving forward. The initial phase aims to increase oil production to 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) and is projected to be operational by early 2026. The newly announced second phase will further boost production to 210,000 bpd starting in 2028, with no routine flaring.

Gas produced from the Ratawi field will be fully processed through a 300-million-cubic-feet-per-day Gas Midstream Project (GMP), which began construction in early 2025. This processed gas will be delivered to Iraq’s national grid to fuel power plants, generating approximately 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of electricity—enough to supply an estimated 1.5 million Iraqi households. An early production facility for associated gas is also slated to start up in early 2026, coinciding with the first phase of Ratawi oil production.

“We are delighted today to award the two final contracts of the Gas Growth Integrated Project, in particular the seawater treatment plant, which has been long awaited by the oil industry in Iraq,” said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies. He added that the projects will contribute significantly to the Iraqi economy and create 7,000 jobs for Iraqi nationals during the construction phase.

Oilprice.com