Title: Iraq: Mining, Minerals and Fuel Resources
Headings: Iraq: Mining, Minerals and Fuel Resources
Iraq: Mining, Minerals and Fuel Resources
Topics Covered
Welcome to Iraq
Overview of Resources
Industrial Minerals
Metals
Fossil Fuels
Investment
Sources

Content: In 2011, the government saw an increase in its revenue due to the global increase in oil prices and the country’s GDP as of 2011 was $129.3 billion. Overview of Resources
The key natural resources in Iraq include natural gas, petroleum, sulfur and phosphates. In 2010, Iraq was globally considered as the 11 th largest producer of crude oil whose production averaged about 2.5 Mbbl/d and accounted for 3.1% of the crude oil output in the world. Between 2009 and 2010, the exports of crude oil in the country averaged 1.9 Mbbl/d and during this period Iraq was one of the leading oil exporting countries in the world. In 2010, Iraq had significant reserves of gravel, sandstone and standard sand. Besides being a chief producer of natural gas and crude oil, the country also produced small quantities of sulfur, cement, bauxite, clays, limestone, gypsum, bentonite, salt and kaolin. Industrial Minerals
In 2010, Iraq was a leading cement importer in the Middle East. Several investors were invited by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals (MIM) to develop five cement plants in the country in order to use the numerous limestone reserves available in Iraq. Investors were attracted by the low production cost, wide spread of raw materials and increasing local market demand. The Paleocene Akashat Formation in Iraq’s Western desert is known for its phosphate rock deposits.