Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to Houston, Texas on September 9 for meetings with Iraqi officials and U.S. energy companies, hosted by the Baker Institute at Rice University. These engagements will advance discussions held during Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's visit to Washington D.C. in April and Assistant Secretary Pyatt's trip to Iraq in May to support their goal of achieving energy independence by 2030 through greater efficiency, renewable energy sources, and the modernization of electricity grids.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt will also discuss the importance of resuming Iraq's oil exports via the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline (ITP) as a means of increasing market transparency as well as offsetting decreases in Russian oil exports to Europe.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt will join Iraqi officials and U.S. companies in a series of discussions on Iraq's oil and gas and power sectors, as well as opportunities for cooperation and investment. They will review Iraq's progress reducing flaring and capturing gas at oil extraction wells to both reduce dependence on outside actors and meet Iraq's climate goals. Representatives from the U.S. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and U.S. Department of Energy will also attend.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt will also deliver a keynote address to the U.S. Energy Stream Leadership Council. He will visit the Consulate of Ukraine in Houston to meet with U.S. companies to discuss ways to advance Ukraine's energy security and resilience in preparation for winter in the wake of repeated attacks by Russia on its energy infrastructure. He will meet with Consul General Vitalii Tarasiuk and members of the Ukrainian diaspora.
