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Civil and piping work starts on Iraq field development

15 May 2026

 

Civil works and piping work have started for the project to develop a second central processing facility (CPF) at Iraq’s Ratawi oil and gas field, according to industry sources.

The project is part of the $27bn Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP), which is being developed by TotalEnergies along with its partners Basra Oil Company (BOC) and Qatar Energy.

Phase one of the GGIP is expected to be worth about $10bn.

Work is progressing on the project despite logistical problems related to the regional conflict that broke out after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

While early works are ongoing, equipment needed for later stages of the project is being delayed as it was due to be transported to the project site using ships that would have travelled through the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping through the Strait is still severely disrupted due to the regional conflict.

In September, Turkiye’s Enka signed a contract to develop the second CPF at Iraq’s Ratawi field as part of the second phase of the field’s development.

Enka did not give a value for the contract, but it is believed to be worth more than $1bn.

In November, US-based KBR was selected by Enka to provide detailed design services for the project.

Enka’s contract covers the engineering, procurement, supply, construction and commissioning of the CPF for the project known as the Associated Gas Upstream Project Phase 2 (AGUP2).

The aim of the AGUP2 project is to process oil and associated gas from the Ratawi oil field to increase production capacity to 210,000 barrels a day of oil and 154 million standard cubic feet a day of gas.

GGIP masterplan

The GGIP programme is being led by TotalEnergies, the operator, which holds a 45% stake.

Basra Oil Company and QatarEnergy hold 30% and 25% stakes, respectively. The consortium formalised the investment agreement with the Iraqi government in September 2021.

The four projects that comprise the GGIP are:

  • The Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP)
  • The Ratawi gas processing complex
  • A 1GW solar power project for Iraq’s electricity ministry
  • A field development project at Ratawi, known as the Associated Gas Upstream Project (AGUP)

The CSSP is designed to support oil production in Iraq’s southern oil and gas fields – mainly Zubair, Rumaila, Majnoon, West Qurna and Ratawi – by delivering treated seawater for injection, a method used to boost crude recovery rates and improve long-term reservoir performance.

China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) won a $1.61bn contract in May to execute EPC work for the gas processing complex at the Ratawi field development.

CPECC’s project team based in its Dubai office is performing detailed engineering work on the project.

In August last year, TotalEnergies awarded China Energy Engineering International Group the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the 1GW solar project at the Ratawi field. A month later, QatarEnergy signed an agreement with TotalEnergies to acquire a 50% interest in the project.

The 1GW Ratawi solar scheme will be developed in phases, with each phase coming online between 2025 and 2027. It will have the capacity to provide electricity to about 350,000 homes in Iraq’s Basra region.

The project, consisting of 2 million bifacial solar panels mounted on single-axis trackers, will include the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the photovoltaic power station site and 132kV booster station.

Separately, in June, TotalEnergies awarded China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering an EPC contract worth $294m to build a pipeline as part of a package known as the Ratawi Gas Midstream Pipeline.

Also, TotalEnergies awarded UK-based consultant Wood Group a pair of engineering framework agreements in April, worth a combined $11m, under the GGIP scheme.

The agreements have a three-year term under which Wood will support TotalEnergies in advancing the AGUP.

One of the aims of the AGUP is to debottleneck and upgrade existing facilities to increase production capacity to 120,000 b/d of oil on completion of the first phase, according to a statement by Wood.

READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

Global energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.

Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
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Wil Crisp

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