KBR has signed a contract with Iraq’s AKT Oil Services Co. to perform detailed engineering design under Basrah Gas Company’s (BGC) West Qurna Gas Capture Project to collect low-pressure associated gas currently being flared in Iraq’s southern oil fields.
The contract targets Gas Compressor Station 6 at the West Qurna-1 oil field, which was the subject of an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) award from BGC to AKT in July. With more than 20 billion bbl of recoverable reserves, West Qurna-1 is considered one of the world’s biggest oil fields.
Under the July and September agreements, locally owned AKT holds the EPC contract while subcontracting detailed engineering design responsibilities to KBR as an international partner, according to Iraqi state media.
BGC is a 25-year public-private joint venture between the state-owned South Gas Company (51%), Shell (44%), and Mitsubishi Corp. (5%), responsible for gathering and processing associated gas from the West Qurna-1, Rumaila, and Zubair oil fields.
“As a key contributor to Basrah Gas Company (BGC)'s gas capture program, this project supports the broader objective of maximizing value from Iraq's energy resources while reducing flaring and enhancing long-term energy sustainability,” Euan McCulloch, vice president, Middle East, for KBR’s Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) business unit, posted on LinkedIn.
Higher Output Drives More Flaring
Iraq ranks third globally in gas flaring, behind Russia and Iran, according to the World Bank’s 2026 Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report. The country flares about 17 to 18 Bcm of associated natural gas annually, representing roughly 13% of the world's flared gas.
Since 2013, BGC has boosted gas recovery from 250 MMscf/D to about 1,000 MMscf/D. Instead of flaring associated gas from the Rumaila, Zubair, and West Qurna-1 fields, BGC now captures more than 60% of the associated gas produced from those fields, according to BGC and Shell.
But as Iraq steps up its drive to increase oil production, associated gas output rises with it. As a result, more gas is flared even as more gas is collected and fed into the domestic supply.
“KBR is proud to bring its global engineering expertise to this important initiative and looks forward to partnering with AKT in supporting BGC's vision for a more efficient and sustainable energy future,” McCulloch said. “This award further reinforces KBR's commitment to supporting strategic gas monetization and energy infrastructure development projects across Iraq and the wider Middle East.”
The companies did not disclose the contract’s amount or the timeframe.