Industry

Iraq is working to increase oil production. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Iraq’s Basra Oil Company (BOC) and Halliburton have signed a five-year integrated management contract for the Bin Omar and Sindbad fields in the Basra region, according to a Ministry of Oil Statement

Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi said at the signing ceremony that the contract comes in the context of the ministry’s plans and strategy to increase oil and gas production.

The Minister indicated that over the five years, crude oil production in the Ben Omar field will be increased to 150,000 barrels per day, in addition to the production of 300 million standard cubic feet per day of associated gas. He added that production rates in the Sindbad field will be developed to reach 80,000 to 100,000 barrels per day, and the associated gas capacity will be increased from 240 to 260 million standard cubic feet per day, which will provide a flexible supply of gas to the country’s power sector, which currently relies heavily on imported gas.

The Minister affirmed that the Ministry is proceeding with signing contracts with major international companies, especially American companies, and that it will provide support and remove obstacles to “achieve the goals and the public interest”, noting the longstanding involvement of Halliburton in Iraq, where it has been working since 2003.

According to Reuters, Iraq’s Cabinet has approved the Basra Oil Company (BOC), to sign a heads of agreement (HoA) and a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with a consortium comprising US-based Capital TI and Chevron, alongside Qatar’s UCC, to study strategic oil export pipeline projects. Under the agreements, the consortium will conduct technical and financial feasibility studies for proposed pipeline routes aimed at enhancing Iraq’s crude export infrastructure. The routes under evaluation include the Basra–Haditha–Kirkuk–Ceyhan corridor, which would connect southern Iraq to Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, and the Basra–Haditha–Baniyas route, linking Basra to Syria’s Mediterranean port of Baniyas.

The Cabinet has also authorised Basra Oil Company to sign a consultancy services contract with US engineering firm KBR for the proposed Basra–Haditha oil pipeline project, supporting the technical development of the planned export route.

The proposed pipelines are part of Iraq’s efforts to diversify its crude oil export routes and reduce reliance on the country’s southern export terminals and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq, OPEC’s second largest producer, has a sustainable capacity of 4.9mn bpd and is reported to have ambitions to raise production to 7mn bpd. Under economic pressure due to the suspension of oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz during the recent hostilities, and with the oil and gas sector still accounting for 53% of GDP, 88% of revenues and 91% of exports according to the World Bank, Iraq is reported to be lobbying for an increase in its OPEC quota, currently standing at 4.3mn bpd. Major development and rehabilitation of oilfields is underway with the participation of international oil companies; last year ExxonMobil signed an agreement with the Iraq government to develop the supergiant Majnoon oilfield, bp signed an agreement for the redevelopment of oilfields at Kirkuk, and Chevron is looking to take over from Lukoil as operator of the West Qurna Field.

The company's solutions are used in sectors including refining. (Image soruce: AT-PAC)

Global industrial scaffolding and access solutions provider AT-PAC has officially launched its dedicated Middle East presence, marking an important milestone in the company’s continued international expansion

While AT-PAC’s team has supported customers across the region for several years alongside fellow Umdasch Group company Doka, the company established AT-PAC as a dedicated business in the United Arab Emirates on 1 July.

Headquartered in Atlanta, USA, AT-PAC is a world-leading manufacturer offering globally certified scaffold products for the industrial market, in sectors such as oil and gas, mining, refining, power, and infrastructure construction.

The launch extends AT-PAC’s global branch network across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and now the Middle East, strengthening the company’s ability to deliver engineered industrial access solutions to one of the world’s most dynamic infrastructure and energy markets.

AT-PAC UAE will provide comprehensive scaffolding solutions for the regions oil and gas, petrochemical, industrial maintenance, marine, shipbuilding and energy sectors, while also supporting the delivery of major industrial infrastructure and event projects with advanced engineered access systems.

By combining the globally proven AT-PAC Ringlock scaffolding system with in-house engineering, design and project support, customers across the UAE and wider Middle East will benefit from solutions designed to improve safety, productivity and project certainty on complex industrial works.

David White, regional managing director – AT-PAC Middle East & Africa, said the launch reflects both the strength of the UAE market, and the confidence AT-PAC has in its continued growth.

“We’ve built strong relationships throughout the region over recent years, and today represents an exciting new chapter as we officially established AT-PAC in the Middle East. We’re already supporting major industrial and industrial infrastructure projects across the UAE, and our local team is backed by the global engineering expertise, product innovation and project experience that AT-PAC has developed around the world.”

“The broader Middle East continues to invest in world-class industrial facilities. We’re exciting to partner with contractors and EPCs by delivering access solutions that help projects operate more safety, efficiently and productively.”

Demand for LNG is forecast to rise sharply. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Shell’s LNG Outlook 2026 highlights the strong growth in global LNG demand as well as the increased resilience of the LNG market

Global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is expected to increase to nearly 700 million tonnes a year by 2050, an increase of around 65% from 2025 levels, according to the Outlook,

LNG remains a core pillar of the global energy system, with demand driven by Asian economic growth and intensifying energy security risks.

Disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the Middle East crisis has shut in around one fifth of the world’s monthly LNG supply since the conflict started, pushing up prices on the spot market and adversely affecting some countries in Asia.

This loss of supply has been partially offset by the ramp up of new liquefaction facilities in North America, improved performance at existing plants and reduced Asian imports of LNG. As a result, total LNG trade in 2026 could be similar to last year, when 422mn tonnes of LNG was traded, if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz returns to normal this summer, before returning to growth in 2027.

“The conflict created a system-wide shock with disruption cascading across all segments of the economy, but the LNG industry has proved resilient and able to adapt to changing market conditions,” said Cederic Cremers, President of Integrated Gas at Shell. “While more investment in both supply and demand infrastructure is needed, the long-term outlook remains strong and LNG will continue to be a stabilising force in the global energy system.”

Supply growth

Around 180 million tonnes of annual new supply is forecast to enter the market by 2030, improving the availability and affordability of gas and opening up demand in new markets. The USA continues to lead new LNG supply growth.

However, the ability to benefit from new supply will depend on the availability of infrastructure in importing countries, including regasification capacity and pipeline connectivity, especially in South and Southeast Asia.

Those regions are forecast to account for around 40% of global LNG imports by 2050 to meet rapidly growing demand for energy with lower emissions than coal. In more mature Asian markets such as Japan, data centres are emerging as a new source of power demand.

Emerging segments of demand are also growing rapidly. According to forecasts, LNG bunkering will grow seven-fold to 27 million tonnes by 2035. LNG will continue to have a vital role to deliver energy security to Europe, to balance intermittent renewables as domestic gas production declines.

To meet the growing demand, significant additional investment will be needed in new LNG liquefaction plants through the 2030s and 2040s, with around 200 million tonnes a year of new supply needed, in addition to projects already under construction.

A more resilient market

Although spot prices of LNG in Asia increased to more than US$20 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) at the peak of the Middle East crisis, they remained significantly lower than in 2022 when gas supplies were disrupted following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reflecting the greater resilience of the LNG market now.

With long-term supply agreements accounting for around two thirds of total LNG trade, the average price that buyers paid for LNG in May was around US$11-12 per MMBtu, compared to US$7-11 in January before the conflict began.

Assembly of a TAKRAF conveying system at F’Derick iron ore project, Mauritania.

With major mining investments underway across the region, the demand for efficient and robust material transport is growing. Long-distance conveyors play a key role in reducing reliance on truck haulage and improving operational performance in challenging environments

As major mining investments gain momentum across the Middle East, operators are increasingly focused on how to move large volumes of material efficiently across vast and often remote project sites.

In this context, material transport is no longer seen as a secondary consideration, but as a strategic component of overall mine design. Long-distance conveying systems are emerging as a compelling alternative to traditional truck haulage, offering a scalable and energy-conscious solution that supports both operational performance and the region’s growing emphasis on efficiency and infrastructure development.

Large-scale mining projects today are defined by greater distances, higher throughputs and more complex site conditions. From high-altitude operations to desert environments with extreme temperatures and dust exposure, material handling infrastructure must deliver consistent performance under demanding conditions. Conveyor systems, particularly overland and in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) solutions, are increasingly being engineered to meet these challenges as integrated components of the overall mine design.

One of the key advantages of conveying lies in its ability to provide continuous, electrified transport. Compared with truck haulage, conveyors can significantly reduce fuel consumption, operating costs and associated emissions, particularly over long distances and high volumes. This makes them an attractive option for mining regions investing in new infrastructure and seeking to improve the sustainability of their operations.

As conveying distances and installed power increase, however, the performance of the drive system becomes a critical factor. Conventional drive arrangements, typically based on high-speed motors and gearboxes, can approach their technical and practical limits in large-scale applications. This has led to growing interest in gearless drive technology, which replaces the traditional drivetrain with a slow-running synchronous motor directly coupled to the conveyor pulley.

By eliminating the gearbox, gearless drives simplify the mechanical system and reduce the number of wear components. This results in lower maintenance requirements, improved reliability and reduced downtime — particularly valuable in remote or difficult-to-access locations. In addition, the absence of gearbox losses and the high efficiency of synchronous motors contribute to improved overall energy performance, especially under partial load conditions where conveyors typically operate.

Modern gearless drive systems are also closely integrated with digital control platforms, enabling precise control of conveyor speed, optimised load sharing and advanced condition monitoring. These capabilities support predictive maintenance strategies and help operators maintain consistent performance across the entire material handling chain.

From a system perspective, advances in conveyor design are equally important. The use of horizontal curves, for example, allows conveyors to follow natural terrain and reduces the need for multiple transfer points, improving system availability and lowering maintenance requirements. Fully enclosed conveying solutions such as pipe conveyors can further support environmental performance by minimising dust emissions and material spillage.

While gearless drives are not required for every application, their value becomes clear in high-capacity, long-distance and high-lift scenarios where reliability, efficiency and lifecycle cost are critical. In these cases, a project-specific evaluation often shows that reduced operating expenditure and improved system availability can offset higher initial investment.

As mining development continues to accelerate across the Middle East, the need for efficient, reliable and future-ready material transport solutions will only grow. In this evolving landscape, conveying systems—supported by advanced drive technologies — are increasingly being recognised as a strategic enabler of large-scale project success. By reducing reliance on conventional haulage and aligning with broader goals around efficiency and infrastructure optimisation, they offer a practical pathway for operators looking to build resilient operations that can meet the demands of both today’s projects and those still to come.

For more information on TAKRAF Group’s conveying systems capabilities, visit www.takraf.com