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Iraq Announces New Investment in Nasiriyah, Gharraf Gas Fields

Oil field in Iraq (Reuters)
Oil field in Iraq (Reuters)
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Iraq Announces New Investment in Nasiriyah, Gharraf Gas Fields

Oil field in Iraq (Reuters)
Oil field in Iraq (Reuters)

The Iraqi Oil Ministry announced that it would launch a gas investment project in the Nasiriyah and al-Gharraf fields with the US company Rico Hughes in Dhi Qar in southern Iraq.

The Oil Ministry stated that the project has a capacity of 200 million standard cubic feet per day, explaining that this project is one of Iraq's most significant strategic projects in the gas investment sector associated with crude oil.

Over the past months, Iraq has embarked on implementing giant gas investment projects with Chinese companies and France's Total to achieve record levels of gas production to meet the requirements of operating power plants.

Iraq aspires to launch new projects for gas investment in the Akkas field in the al-Anbar governorate and Mansouriya in the Diyala governorate.

Gas prices rose recently due to seasonal and circumstantial factors, in addition to an increase in oil prices. However, the prices fell on Friday as energy companies in the US Gulf of Mexico region resumed production after two successive hurricanes in the area halted production.

Brent crude futures fell 33 cents to settle at $75.34 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 64 cents to settle at $71.97 a barrel.

Over the week, Brent increased 3.3 percent, and US crude rose 3.2 percent, supported by tight supplies due to the hurricane outages.

The decline on Friday came after five consecutive sessions of rises for Brent crude.

On Wednesday, Brent hit its highest level since late July, and US crude hit its highest level since early August.

Gulf crude oil exports are flowing again after hurricanes Nicholas and Ida took out 26 million barrels of offshore production.

Reuters reported on Thursday that the resumption of activities continued with the suspension of about 28 percent of US Gulf of Mexico crude output.

Last week, US energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for the second week in a row, although the number of offshore units in the Gulf of Mexico remained unchanged after hurricane Ida hit the coast more than two weeks ago.

Energy services firm Baker Hughes said 14 offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico had closed two weeks ago due to the continuing shutdown caused by Ida.

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COP 16 Launches Monday in Riyadh: Advancing a World Free of Desertification

Riyadh is hosting this Monday the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh is hosting this Monday the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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COP 16 Launches Monday in Riyadh: Advancing a World Free of Desertification

Riyadh is hosting this Monday the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh is hosting this Monday the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16). (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Global attention turns to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as it hosts the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The event seeks to address environmental challenges threatening the planet, intensify efforts to combat land degradation, and reduce the impact of drought.
From December 2 to 13, Riyadh will host representatives from 197 countries, signatories to the UNCCD, to collaborate on effective solutions for rehabilitating millions of hectares of degraded land and building resilience against drought. The conference aims to support policymakers while engaging the private sector and civil society in protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.
COP 16 is the largest meeting in the history of the UNCCD and the first to be held in the Middle East. It also represents Saudi Arabia’s largest-ever multilateral conference and coincides with the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD, established alongside the Rio Conventions on climate change and biodiversity in 1992.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the significance of COP 16 as a potential turning point, renewing global commitment to accelerating investments in land restoration and drought resilience. He described it as the largest UN conference on land to date and a landmark event for the Middle East and North Africa.
Saudi Arabia is a key supporter of global environmental efforts. The Crown Prince’s Saudi Green Initiative aims to rehabilitate 49 billion square meters of land. This initiative has gained regional and international support, with Gulf nations already undertaking reforestation and coastal protection projects.
The Conference Program
The conference features an innovative dual-track approach, combining formal negotiations with an action-oriented agenda, according to the COP 16 presidency. This approach aims to address urgent global crises, including desertification, land degradation, and drought, through practical and implementable decisions.
The action agenda will focus on showcasing voluntary initiatives, innovative solutions, and discussions on key topics such as artificial intelligence, sustainable land management, and the social and economic impacts of land degradation. High-level ministerial sessions will explore critical issues, including drought resilience, financing, and the relationship between land degradation, forced migration, and security.
Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment and advisor to COP 16, emphasized the pivotal role of the conference in tackling global challenges related to land degradation and drought. He noted that Saudi Arabia has introduced the first-ever Green Zone in COP history. This zone aims to engage scientists, businesses, financial institutions, NGOs, and the public in collaborative efforts to drive lasting change.
The COP 16 agenda includes thematic days to focus discussions and accelerate outcomes: December 4: Earth Day, December 5: Food Systems Day, December 6: Governance Day, December 7: Peoples’ Day, December 9: Science, Technology, and Innovation Day, December 10: Capacity Building Day, and December 11: Finance Day.
Saudi Green Initiative Forum
In parallel with COP 16, Riyadh will host the 4th annual Saudi Green Initiative Forum on December 3–4 under the theme “Inspired by Nature”. The forum will gather policymakers, business leaders, and experts from around the world to share best practices, explore innovative solutions, and review progress toward the initiative’s sustainability goals.
Land degradation currently affects approximately 40% of the Earth’s surface, impacting the lives of 3.2 billion people worldwide, according to the UNCCD. Each year, nearly 100 million hectares of land deteriorate, while drought intensity and frequency have risen by one-third since 2000.
Despite the urgent need for action, restoration and resilience efforts remain significantly underfunded. COP 16 aims to prioritize mobilizing public and private financing to accelerate land restoration and enhance global resilience, building a sustainable future for both people and the planet.