Shell to Start Gas Flow at Iraq Field Soon

First gas from Shell’s gas joint venture in southern Iraq is expected to flow in next three weeks at the rate of 60 million cubic feet per day, Reuters reported.

Shell and Mitsubishi Corporation signed a $17 billion deal with Iraq last November to capture flared gas at the country's southern oilfields, which burn off more than 700 million cubic feet of gas per day.

Citing Shell vice-president and head of the company's Iraq projects Hans Nijkamp, Reuters report said that output would be increased by a further 40 million cubic feet a day several weeks after pumping starts.

The project will handle 2 billion cubic feet per day by 2017.

The gas will be used as feedstock for the petrochemical industry and should also help to boost power in Iraq, which has a chronic electricity shortage, the report said quoting officials.