據油氣新聞網6月19日報道，伊拉克邀請外國公司競標勘探和開發11個新區塊的天然氣儲量的合同，因為這個歐佩克成員國正尋求為發電站生產急需的天然氣，并削減對該國預算構成壓力的進口。

伊拉克石油部在一份聲明中表示，八個區塊位于安巴爾省西部，一個位于北部城市摩蘇爾，另外兩個位于省邊界，其中一個位于安巴爾地區與摩蘇爾之間，另一個位于伊拉克南部城市納賈。

伊拉克石油部表示，已經結束了啟動第六輪天然氣區塊招標的準備工作，但沒有確定招標日期。

歐佩克中僅次于沙特的第二大天然氣生產國伊拉克，由于缺乏將天然氣加工成燃料的設施，只能使用進口的電力發電，該國在其油田開采的大部分天然氣與原油一起開采。

伊拉克一直受到外界的壓力，要求其減少對進口天然氣的依賴。

郝芬 譯自 油氣新聞網

原文如下：

Iraq invites foreign bids for 11 gas blocks in new area

Iraq invited foreign companies to bid for contracts to explore and develop natural gas reserves in 11 new blocks as the Opec member seeks to produce much-needed natural gas for power stations and cut imports that weigh on the country's budget.

Eight blocks are located in western Anbar province, one in the northern city of Mosul and two others are located along province borders, including one between Anbar region with Mosul and another with Iraq's southern city of Naja, the oil ministry said in a statement.

Iraq's oil ministry has ended preparation to launch a sixth bidding round to auction off the gas blocks, the ministry said, without setting a date for the bidding process.

Iraq, Opec’s second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, flares much of its own gas, extracted alongside crude oil at its fields, because it lacks the facilities to process it into fuel and instead uses its neighbor's power imports to generate electricity.

Baghdad has been under pressure from the biggest economics to reduce its reliance on gas imports from its neighbor.