Iraq's wealth and natural resources

• 2023/06/24
• Mostafa Ali Fikiki

When talking about Iraq's wealth and natural resources, oil comes as Iraq's most important natural resource, but this fact is incomplete, as the country contains the largest global reserve of sedimentary sulfur in the Mishraq fields south of the city of Mosul (north of the country), whose reserves are estimated at about two-thirds of the sulfur found on Earth. Earth. Sulfur: Sulfur is an odorless, tasteless, polymorphic substance that is often in the form of yellow crystals. It is obtained from sulfides and sulfates. Its importance: Sulfur is used as a main material in the process of exploring for oil and gas, extracting it, and producing its derivatives. It is also used in the most important industries, including agricultural industries, the most prominent of which is the production of phosphate fertilizers mainly as a fertilizer alone and in granular or powder form, the pharmaceutical industries, the alum industry, the production of various chemical compounds, the manufacture of several types of paper, and bleaching materials. Sulfur in Iraq: The Mishraq fields are considered the largest sedimentary sulfur fields in the world, with global reserves estimated at 600 million tons. However, the Mishraq fields alone have estimated reserves of approximately 360 million tons. Mishraq sulfur consists of 3 fields, where the first field’s reserves are estimated at 65 million tons, while the second field’s reserves are 23.5 million tons, and the third largest field has reserves of 224 million tons. Only the first field is currently invested, while the last two fields have not been invested yet. Its global consumption: The size of the sulfur market was estimated at approximately 64.5 million tons in 2021, and the market is expected to record a compound annual growth rate of more than 5% during the forecast period (2023-2027). A look towards the future: In the food field, with the continuous increase in the population around the world, and increasing fears of the lack of cultivated areas, and climate changes, the countries of the world, companies, and investors are working to develop and increase fertilizer industries to avoid food security problems and increase stability. Since sulfur is a basic material in the manufacture of various types of fertilizers, the increase in demand for it will be in parallel with the increase in demand for fertilizers. As for the oil and gas sector, countries around the world, including Iraq, are working to accelerate oil and gas exploration activities due to growing concerns about energy security. This increases the demand for sulfur used in refining and extraction operations. Conclusion: This is an invitation to the officials, people of interest and opinion in the ministries of state, most notably the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, the Ministry of Planning, and the Board of Advisors, to take matters into their own hands and develop rapid plans to invest this wealth, direct government and private investments, and invite international companies to invest in this field to confront economic challenges and increase opportunities for growth and prosperity. .