Law Firm Launched Legal Action Against BP Over Flaring
BP faces potential litigation from residents near Iraq's Rumaila field over allegations of routine gas flaring.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Oil and Gas
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The law firm Hagens Berman EMEA has initiated a letter before action against BP, alleging the company failed to limit gas flaring to emergency use at the Rumaila oil field. This legal action, which involves nine initial clients, claims that the practice has caused health issues for local residents.
Why it matters
The dispute centers on allegations that prioritizing production volume over gas capture led to emissions of benzene and other pollutants near residential areas. For international operators, this marks a potential expansion of liability risk regarding environmental practices in cross-border jurisdictions.
The action represents nine initial clients who allege that routine non-emergency flaring began in 2009. The site, which saw daily output of 1.3 million barrels from 2021 to 2025, reportedly conducted flaring within 250 metres of residential properties.
The players
BP
A multinational integrated oil and gas company with major exploration, production, and refining operations worldwide.
Hagens Berman EMEA
A law firm that manages international litigation and environmental accountability claims for private and corporate clients.
The details
The legal notice alleges that BP and associated parties bypassed gas capture and processing to minimize costs and maximize oil production. By allegedly ignoring a pledge to restrict flaring to emergency situations, the operator is accused of exposing local populations to hazardous pollutants like benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The law firm plans to file in England and Wales on negligence and nuisance grounds, with the possibility of further claims filed in Iraq.
Timeline
Routine non-emergency gas flaring reportedly began at the Rumaila oil field in 2009.
The site accounted for 1.87% to 3.13% of global gas flaring between 2012 and 2024.
BP and Basra Energy produced 1.3 million barrels of oil daily from 2021 to 2025.
Market Landscape
This move follows the pattern set by the 2011 Niger Delta environmental litigation cases which sought to hold energy majors accountable for overseas operations. It highlights an increasing risk for operators as legal firms increasingly utilize Western courts to challenge the environmental impact of energy production abroad.
Operators in the extraction sector should review their current flaring compliance and community health impact disclosures. Legal risk associated with environmental pledges is rising, necessitating a closer look at the oversight of legacy operational practices at foreign production sites.
The takeaway
Large-scale energy producers face heightened scrutiny over the discrepancy between publicized flaring pledges and operational performance. Operators should audit the consistency of their site-level emission protocols against corporate sustainability commitments to prepare for potential future litigation.
Further reading
For broader trends in industry regulation, see our Oil and Gas section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Iraq Business News | All the latest business news from Iraq.
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