ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq—Leading energy company Dana Gas said on Thursday that it would increase gas production by 50 percent in the Kurdistan Region next year.

With the completion of the one-billion-dollar KM250 project, an expansion of the Khor Mor field in Sulaimani’s Chamchamal district, expected by the first quarter of 2026, daily production will reach nearly one billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, enough to equip the Kurdistan Region to provide 24-hour electricity.

Progress on the “US$1 billion expansion project, which includes US$250 million in financing from the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC), has advanced in recent months through fast-track simultaneous project construction and commissioning activities, enabling the company to cut the overall project schedule by several months,” Dana Gas said in a statement on Thursday.

This project "will strengthen the energy sector and the economy of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.”

Richard Hall, CEO of Dana Gas said. "We are rapidly approaching a pivotal strategic milestone with the completion of the Khor Mor 250 project, which we will be able to accelerate to completion by the first quarter of 2026. This project will usher in a new phase of massive expansion, strengthening our position as a leading energy company."

The UAE-based giant has played a pivotal role in the production of the Kurdistan Region’s natural gas since 2007. 

Khor Mor gas field is a major fuel source for electricity generation plants in the Region, with production at the field currently standing at 525 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day.

"The Khor Mor plant operated by the companies provides the fuel for around 75% of the KRI’s (Kurdistan Region of Iraq) electricity generation, enabling affordable power for more than 6 million Iraqis in the KRI and other governorates of Iraq. With total investment to date exceeding US$3.5 billion, the operations have created more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region,” according to Dana Gas.

Dana Gas says they have invested $3.5 billion to date at the Khor Mor, with operations having created "more than 20,000 direct and indirect job opportunities in the region."