confirmed Oil Minister Thamer Ghadban , Wednesday, that the ministry 's plans for the next four years , targeting a broad active exploration in Western Sahara . 

Al-Ghadhban said in a statement received by Alsumaria News that the plans and programs of the ministry in the next four years aimed at a broad exploration activity in Western Sahara because of the contained in the reserves of promising and large oil and gas. 

He added that "the extractive oil industry in Iraq is witnessing its golden age through the large expansion in the exploration and development of oil and gas fields," noting that "Iraq has witnessed in recent years many exploration operations, which proved the presence of oil and gas in large quantities, Oil ".

He continued that "Iraq aims to explore free gas fields to provide a large reserve of gas, especially as Iraq is witnessing a broad activity in building capacity in the petrochemical industries and the generation of electricity that rely on gas at present and in the near future." 

The oil minister announced on February 19, 2017, the increase in the size of Iraq's reserves to 153 billion barrels. 

On April 25, 2012, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced the start of the fourth licensing round for 12 exploratory areas in different parts of Iraq, stressing that the purpose of this round is to strengthen Iraq's oil reserves.