This investigation was prepared by Al-Mirbad and supported by the Journalism Fund Europe
Fadel and Fatima are afflicted by a mysterious illness; Ruqayya has undergone a kidney removal; and the Al-Safi family tragically lost their lives. Many are now seeking accountability from the oil companies. Raghd dreams of a “prosperous” life for his five daughters, while Khattar, grieving the loss of his first wife, struggles to protect his second. These poignant stories reflect the alarming health crisis in southern Iraq, particularly near Basra—home to some of the highest gas flaring rates globally, especially around the Rumaila and Zubair oil fields.
This investigative report delves into the issue of gas flaring in southern Iraq. It forms part of a series of cross-border investigations under the “Burning Skies” project, which examines the practice of burning off natural gas associated with oil extraction. This initiative is spearheaded by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) in cooperation with the Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) and several media platforms, including Daraj.
The project examines gas flaring emissions in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The team has combined gas flaring emission data from Skytruth with maps of oil and gas concessions and permits to calculate annual flaring emissions for various sites—including oil fields, gas fields, refineries, and liquefied natural gas plants—in several countries, including Iraq, for the period from 2012 to 2022.
Hassan Abdul Amir, a father in his 40s, never imagined that the oil fields surrounding his home would become a source of devastation for him and his family. Residing in the Al-Sharsh area, south of Al-Qurna district, he is encircled by three massive oil fields. Once, Hassan envisioned these fields as a pathway to wealth, comfort, and happiness for his children and community. However, his dreams have turned into a nightmare. The constant emissions and flaring from the fields have severely impacted his children’s health. Fadel and Fatima now suffer from a rare and mysterious illness that darkens their skin and covers their bodies with blisters and sores—treatment for which Hassan cannot afford. Their mother is consumed by sorrow, watching her children miss out on the joys of childhood, the thrill of learning, and the warmth of friendships with their peers.
Hassan, now medically retired, attributes the plight of his children to the emissions from the West Qurna oil fields, along with nearby landfill sites and the factories producing cement and asphalt. He expresses his despair, saying “The medications my children take are ineffective; they only provide temporary relief.”
Project Data and the Tragedy of Gas Flaring in Southern Iraq
Despite Iraq’s commitment to the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring (ZRF) Initiative, aimed at eliminating routine flaring by 2030, project data indicates a troubling trend. The total flaring volume in Iraq increased from around 10.9 billion cubic meters in 2012 to 15.8 billion cubic meters in 2022, peaking at 16 billion cubic meters in 2021. This escalation has led to a significant increase in carbon dioxide emissions, from 28.2 million tons in 2012 to 40.8 million tons in 2022.
Our study also reveals that certain sites and concessions in Iraq have consistently reported high levels of gas flaring over the years, underscoring the ongoing issue of routine flaring from 2012 and 2022.
Rumaila (operated by BP):
Total Flaring Volume: Approximately 41 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 105.8 million tons
Zubair (operated by ENI):
Total Flaring Volume: Approximately 20.2 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 52.2 million tons
Kirkuk (operated by North Oil Company):
Total Flaring Volume: 16.4 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 42.4 million tons
West Qurna 2 (operated by Lukoil):
Total Flaring Volume: 11.5 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 29.6 million tons
Halfaya (operated by PetroChina and Total Energies):
Total Flaring Volume: 9.2 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 23.8 million tons
Maysan Field [Burgzan/Bazarkan] (operated by CNOOC):
Total Flaring Volume: 8.1 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 21 million tons
West Qurna 1 (operated by Exxon):
Total Flaring Volume: 7.8 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 20.1 million tons
Majnoon (operated by Shell):
Total Flaring Volume: 5.9 billion cubic meters
CO₂ Emissions: 15.2 million tons
As the list above demonstrates, many foreign companies, particularly European ones, engage in flaring in Iraq, despite these same companies adhering to strict regulations in their home countries and complying with sustainability guidelines. Moreover, these companies are committed to the World Bank Initiative, yet continue to practice flaring in Iraq.
The Halfaya Field: One of Iraq’s Biggest Gas Flaring Sites
One of the most gas-flaring fields in Iraq is the Halfaya field, located 200 km from Basra, in which the French company Total Energies holds a 22.5% stake. However, the Halfaya field is not only the most flaring field in Iraq but also the most polluting among the fields where Total holds a share.
Over the past decade, the total flaring level in the Halfaya field has reached about 9 billion cubic meters, releasing approximately 23 million tons of carbon dioxide, with 3 million tons emitted in 2022 alone.
In an interview with “Al-Mirbad” and “Daraj,” Kazem Dinar, who lives in the village of Al-Mu’ayal near the Halfaya field, says that his son Jalal developed thyroid cancer and had it removed. According to Dinar, “doctors suggest that the likely cause is air pollution due to gas flaring.”
In Total’s response to the project’s team questions, specifically regarding the Halfaya field, the company simply stated: “We point out that CNPC is the operator.”
Lawsuit Against BP
Abu Ali, a resident living near the oil fields—this time in Rumaila, not Al-Qurna—lost his eldest son, Ali, to cancer. Abu Ali filed a lawsuit against BP, one of the operators of Iraq’s largest oil fields, Rumaila, and is still awaiting the court’s ruling on his plight.
In response to the project team’s questions, BP stated: “BP is not and has never been the operator of the Rumaila oil field. Nor do we have any ownership interest or equity in the field or any right to the oil it produces.” The company added: “However, as a shareholder in the lead contractor – Basra Energy Company Limited (BECL) – we continue to actively support the reduction of flaring and emissions at Rumaila, working with the operator of the oil field, the Rumaila Operating Organisation (ROO).”
BP also clarified: “There are also a number of oil and gas facilities on the Rumaila field that are operated by third parties (and in which bp has no involvement), which are a source of flaring.”
According to ENI’s response, “in the Iraqi Zubair field, Eni Iraq has been a contractor since 2010 under a Technical Service Contract (TSC), and therefore, Eni neither owns nor operates Zubair. Basra Oil Company (BOC), as the First Party, owns the Zubair field and its assets, specifically both the entire crude oil and the associated gas produced. The development strategy, including emissions containment, remains the prerogative of BOC. The field is managed by a non-profit entity called Zubair Field Operating Division (ZFOD), without decision-making powers. Basra Gas Company has a contractual obligation to collect the associated gas from Zubair on behalf of BOC. Despite this, Eni Iraq, in its technical role and with a proactive approach, collaborates with BOC to reduce and minimize gas flaring and to enhance the value of associated gas through projects aimed at improving the management of gas volumes delivered to Basra Gas Company… Eni Iraq conducts continuous checks and monitoring of major environmental matrices in the Zubair field area: water, soil, air, natural radioactivity, thanks to dedicated monitoring networks established over the years following specific studies. The results of the collected data are in line with Iraqi legislation and international standards. In addition to these checks, periodic industrial hygiene surveys and health risk assessment studies are conducted. Moreover, Eni Iraq monitors environmental compliance and invests in Basra’s healthcare with initiatives dedicated to oncological diagnostics, pediatric healthcare, and a modern PET scan unit, with an investment exceeding USD 32 million… Eni’s commitment extends to supporting Basra’s healthcare system and aligning it with international standards.”
Multiple Tragedies
Nine-year-old Ruqayya, once a vibrant and cheerful girl, has had to undergo a kidney removal and now lives with only one. Her family is constantly anxious about the health of her remaining kidney, providing her with special care. The reason for her surgery was cancer; doctors were left with no choice but to remove the cancerous tissue to save her life. Her family believes the cancer was caused by the harmful gasses emitted from the nearby oil fields.
Her father, Ra’ed, expressed his frustration that they were not included in any governmental grants or initiatives, at the very least to help with medical expenses.
Another local resident, Wujud Al-Safi, has suffered the tragic loss of five family members, with three others now battling cancer. Wujud is bewildered by the Ministry of Oil’s decision to offer just 300,000 Iraqi dinars annually to affected individuals—hardly enough to cover even a few days of treatment. He also questions where the promised land parcels from the government are, saying, “We don’t want to live on that land; we want to sell it to buy treatment!”
Wujud also criticizes the Basra government, expressing his frustration over the absence of a hospital in Al-Qurna capable of treating their cases. This forces residents to travel dozens of kilometers to the center of Basra city for chemotherapy and other essential treatments. He poses pressing questions: “Why are there warnings against cigarette smoke but none about the oil flares near our neighborhoods? Why doesn’t the Ministry of Health recognize the pollution caused by the oil industry? Where is the Ministry of Environment?”
Violation of Iraqi Law?
It’s important to note that the proposed Federal Oil and Gas Law from 2011 has yet to be passed. However, Iraq has set a goal to eliminate routine gas flaring as part of the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring Initiative by 2030.
According to the Iraqi constitution and laws, citizens have the right to live in a safe and clean environment, free from all pollutants. The people residing near the oil fields actually own this land, passed down through generations from their ancestors. They cannot leave or abandon it, and what they once believed would be a blessing has turned into an unbearable curse.
In December 2021, the Iraqi Minister of Oil pledged to reduce gas flaring by 90% by 2024. However, project data reveals persistently high flaring rates and lists the European operators responsible for these practices in Iraq.
Former Iraqi Minister of Environment, Jassim Al-Fallahi, acknowledged that pollution from oil production is the primary reason for the rise in local cancer rates, specifically highlighting gas flaring as a major contributor to the increased risk of leukemia in communities near Basra’s oil fields.
A leaked report from the Iraqi Ministry of Health attributes a 20% increase in cancer cases in Basra between 2015 and 2018 to air pollution, including emissions from gas flaring.
Studies and investigations, including one conducted by the BBC, found high levels of benzene and other carcinogenic chemicals in the air and urine samples of residents living near these oil fields, indicating a strong link between gas flaring and the rise in cancer cases.
Raghad, Whose Life is No Longer Prosperous
In the district of Al-Deir, north of Basra, where the Nahran Bin Omar oil field is situated, Raghad Jassem, an employee in the Ministry of Interior and father of five daughters, faces his own battle against the consequences of oil emissions. Initially experiencing bloating and constipation, Raghad sought medical help and was diagnosed with appendicitis, leading to surgery to remove his appendix. However, his pain continued, prompting further medical visits, during which doctors confirmed he had colon cancer. He underwent another surgery, resulting in the removal of 83 centimeters of his colon.
This marked the beginning of Raghad’s journey of suffering, battling illness and pain as he traveled between Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon since 2021 in search of treatment or chemotherapy. The financial burden was immense—each chemotherapy session costs 2.1 million Iraqi dinars, in addition to the various tests, including blood work, PET scans, MRIs, endoscopies, X-rays, and CT scans.
In 2023, Raghad’s pain returned, leading him to travel to Iran once again. Tests revealed the presence of two new tumors and an intestinal blockage. He continues his treatment, hoping to recover fully so he can care for his five daughters and provide them with the “raghida” (prosperous) life he dreams of.
From Naher Omar in Al-Qurna, northern Basra, to Zubair in the west, where oil fields are widespread, particularly in the Shuaiba area, lives Hadi Khattar. He is compelled by his job to reside near the oil fields. Hadi lost his first wife, the mother of six children, to cancer. After remarrying, his second wife was also diagnosed with breast cancer, though she continues her regular treatment.
Hadi, a quiet and humble man, does not demand much—his only plea is for continued access to medical treatment.
While not every case of cancer can be directly attributed to gas flaring, there is no doubt that the high flaring rates over decades have significantly contributed to the decline in public health in these areas.
