Partnership Case Study: Basrah Gas Company

Background

Established in 2013, Basrah Gas Company (BGC) is a joint venture between Iraq’s South Gas Company, Shell, and Mitsubishi Corporation. Formed to harness Basrah’s natural gas resources, BGC supports Iraq’s energy strategy through increased investment in gas infrastructure, energy independence, and one of the world’s largest gas flaring reduction initiatives. 

Challenge

In 2023, BGC was under immense pressure to deliver a newly secured project with complex workforce demands and an aggressive timeline. However, the organisation lacked the internal infrastructure and expertise to compliantly manage end-to-end talent operations in Iraq at the volume required for the project.

With limited mechanisms for local or expatriate recruitment, visa processing, payroll, or in-country mobilisation, BGC’s existing teams were stretched beyond capacity. The absence of compliant workforce support services, such as tax contributions, transportation, medical clearances, and immigration processes, posed significant risks to project delivery timelines and workforce readiness.

Airswift Solution

A dedicated account team was implemented to deliver an all-encompassing solution that enabled BGC to quickly stabilise and scale its operations across multiple project sites, including Rumaila, West Qurna 1, and Zubair. Leveraging its in country infrastructure and local expertise, Airswift enabled BGC to onboard personnel at the volume and speed required without compromising on compliance or quality.

Robust reporting and service reviews were introduced to give BGC full visibility and control over workforce operations. This partnership not only de-risked project delivery but also allowed BGC to scale with confidence. The success of the Tigris project led to the award of three additional exclusive contracts, solidifying a long-term relationship built on delivery excellence and proven results.

Results

Airswift’s role has expanded far beyond service delivery, evolving into a strategic partnership that supports BGC’s most critical and complex projects. From rapid mobilisation to strategic execution, Airswift has played a pivotal role in enabling BGC to meet its operational goals, on time, and with full compliance. Through 100% role fulfilment, rapid mobilisation of 80+ personnel, continuous process improvement, and full transparency through reporting and business performance reviews, Airswift has proven indispensable to BGC’s success.

This has led to exclusive awards across the following four major contracts at the Basrah Natural Gas Liquefaction (BNGL) Plant: Tigris, Provision of Assets, Provision of Expat Services, and NextGen. Airswift’s agility, local expertise, and embedded support model have enabled BGC to meet ambitious timelines, reduce costs, and build a scalable, compliant workforce across the WQ1, ROO and Zubair oil fields. This partnership continues to set a new benchmark for workforce solutions in Iraq’s energy sector.