After nearly six months on the job, Iraq’s new Oil Minister speaks exclusively to MEES about the state of play in the country’s oil and gas sector. Gas flaring and refining are the biggest challenges, and Mr Ghadhban is opting for a rethink to solve these issues once and for all, while navigating Iraq’s turbulent political landscape.

Interview conducted by Waylon Fairbanks and Jamie Ingram in Baghdad, 8 April.

Thank you for sitting down with MEES.

You’re most welcome.

Q: Despite an abundance of oil, Iraq’s lack of refining capacity has forced it to import around 100,000 b/d of oil products to meet domestic demand. What is the ministry doing to increase output from existing refineries? And how is work on new refineries progressing?

A: This is a very important issue actually and one of the challenges that oil ministers have faced...