Iraq and Europe look at gas ties

BRUSSELS, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Iraq is moving closer to being a key non-Russian source of Europe's gas as Shell leads oil firms in courting development of a key western gas field.

Iraq and European Commission's oil chiefs met in Brussels to discuss transporting the gas through the Arab Gas Pipeline through Syria and through Turkey in the fledgling Nabucco pipeline.

Both Shell and Total have made overtures to develop the Akkas gas field, with 7 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves and capable of producing about 50 million cubic feet per day initially. It's located in Anbar province and, even more than the rest of Iraq, it depends on security increasing.

London's The Times reports Shell wants to develop the gas sector in southern Iraq as well.

"Royal Dutch Shell has made a proposal to Iraq for gathering gas and building a facility to supply the local market and export additional gas ... through southern ports or a pipeline," Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said at a news conference, al-Sumaria TV reports.

Andis Piebalgs, the European commissioner for energy, met with Shahristani to discuss closer energy ties.

"One of the main tools we have to improve our security of supply is diversification," Piebalgs said. Europe is attempting to reduce its reliance on Russian-controlled gas, which it accuses of being volatile and politicized.

"Iraq is a natural energy partner for the EU," said European Commissioner for External relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who also attended the meeting, "both as a producer of oil and gas and as a transit country for hydrocarbon resources from the Middle East and the Gulf to the EU."

Argus Media reports Shahristani met with officials from Italy's Edison on developing Akkas on the sidelines of the OPEC meeting in Vienna this week.