Gazprom Neft Badra, a subsidiary of Russian oil and gas firm Gazprom Neft has commissioned a new gas processing plant at its Badra field in Iraq.

The plant, which has begun commercial operations, has a capacity to process 1.6 billion cubic metres of gas. It has been designed for the compression, treatment and dehydration of associated petroleum gas (APG).

Commercial production from the Badra oilfield located in Eastern Iraq, in the Wasit Province, began in September 2014.

Processed dry feed gas from the gas treatment plant is supplied through a 100km pipeline, mainly to meet the needs of the Az-Zubaidiya power station which provides electricity throughout the country.

Additionally, gas will be used to meet the own requirements of Badra project as fuel for the 123.5MW gas-turbine power plant which provides electricity to oil and gas processing plants, drilling rigs and oil-producing wells.

The Badra project’s gas processing plant will produce natural gas liquids (NGLs) which will be used for the production of LPG. The LPG, in turn, will be delivered to the Gas Filling Company owned by the Iraq government.

The gas treatment complex at the Badra field also features a granulated sulfur processing unit.

Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov said: “Gazprom Neft is continuing its development of the Badra field, in strict adherence to the field development plan. Today sees the full-cycle gas plant — built by our company using the most cutting-edge technologies available on the world market — going into commercial production.

“This is a unique enterprise for the region, at which Gazprom Neft has, since starting work, been able to monetize all of the hydrocarbons produced here, ensuring associated-petroleum-gas (APG) utilisation of at least 95 percent.”

Gazprom Neft is the operator of the Badra field with a stake of 30% and is partnered by Kogas (22.5%), Petronas (15%), TPAO (7.5%) and the Iraqi government represented by the Iraqi Oil Exploration Company (OEC) with a stake of 25%.

Image: The newly commissioned Badra gas treatment plant of Gazprom Neft. Photo: courtesy of Gazprom Neft PJSC.