On the 10th of April 2022, BGC signed an MoU with the British Council setting out their intention to work together to develop new joint projects in support of education and culture. These projects will aim to strengthen the capabilities of young people in Iraq especially those living in the Basrah area.
On this occasion Marfa al Asadi, BGC Deputy Managing Director commented: “We are very pleased to have signed this MoU with the British Council, this marks an important steppingstone for a future partnership. BGC is not just a gas company that turns wasted resources into much needed energy, we aim at adding value to the local communities where we operate and where feasible. Setting the right foundations through educational projects will help us pave the way for young Basrawis who wish to develop their skills and find better opportunities in life. Learning, development and enhancing skills are high on our agenda. This initiative will equip young people in Basrah with the right tools to compete and help build a better future for themselves and their families.”
Jim Buttery, Country Director for the British Council also added: “This is a significant new moment for our partnership work in Iraq because it puts a ‘business for good’ agenda at the heart of our programmes in support of education and culture. By combining the strengths of BGC and the British Council through our different networks and capabilities, more Iraqis will be able to benefit from the personal and professional development opportunities that we offer… and that’s a good thing”.
The MoU will identify the main areas of shared interest between BGC and the British Council whereby they will focus their work to support communities in Basrah and southern Iraq. Programmes are likely to focus on improving English language capability, strengthening skills for entrepreneurship and employability, and enhancing the quality of education through teacher development. Other projects may include support for Iraqi cultural heritage and skills in support of Iraq’s emerging creative economy.
About Basrah Gas Company (BGC)
Basrah Gas Company is a 25-year incorporated Joint Venture between Iraq’s South Gas Company holding 51%, Shell 44% and Mitsubishi Corporation 5%. Average yearly production is 900mmscf/d, this is enough gas to produce approximately 3. 4GW of electricity for millions of homes and industries in Iraq. BGC currently captures around 60% of the available gas from three Basrah oil fields: Rumaila, West Qurna 1 and Zubair. BGC is the main gas gathering and processing entity in southern Iraq, making it the main hub for processing associated gas and the most competitive source of hydrocarbons for power generation. Currently BGC provides 80% of Iraq’s LPG demand, with the development of its export capabilities, supporting Iraq to diversify its revenue streams by turning Iraq into a net exporter of LPG and Condensate.
Since commencement of operations from 2013 to end of 2021– BGC has greatly reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from LR1 oil production flaring, preventing 130million tonnes of flared CO2e emissions from entering the atmosphere, this is equivalent to the CO2e emissions from 4.5 average coal-fired power stations, operating continuously through the same period, or equivalent to removing 3.5 million cars off the road for a period of 8 years.
In November 2019 BGC kicked off the first installation for Basrah-NGL, a flagship project with 2 modular trains which will add an additional 400 mmcf/d to BGC’s overall production to reach 1.4 bcf/d.
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 75 million people directly and 758 million people overall including online broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934, and established in Iraq in 1940, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government.
