US Ramps Up Efforts to Control Iraq's Akkas Gas Field Amid Broader Middle East Strategy
The United States is racing to secure control of Iraq's Akkas gas field, a crucial asset in the country's western desert province of Anbar. The field has proven reserves of 5.6 trillion cubic feet and is expected to produce 400 million standard cubic feet per day by 2030, according to the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
U.S. firms are positioning themselves to take control of the field's development, with companies such as ConocoPhillips, TI Capital, and Novaterra Energy signing agreements with Iraq's government. These deals include partnerships for oil and gas field development programs and the construction of supporting domestic and international energy infrastructure.
The U.S. strategy is part of a broader effort to isolate Iran under its current regime from the rest of the Middle East. The construction of an Iraq-Syria crude oil pipeline, which will allow Iraq to export its crude oil directly to European and global markets via the Mediterranean, is another key example of this strategy.
The introduction of wide-ranging U.S. and UK sanctions on Russian firms operating in Iraq has also contributed to the shift towards Western companies taking control of Iraq's energy assets. The granting of an operating licence to Starlink, a U.S.-based global satellite communications giant, is another strategic move that serves as a cornerstone of the ongoing U.S. push to pivot Iraq further to the West.