Chinese state oil company CNPC says its first phase of operations at the Halfaya field in Iraq is operational and producing oil.
According to an article on CNPC’s website cited by Reuters, operations began on 16 June with the startup of the Halfaya oil field oil and gas processing center transfer pump, accoring to the company.
Wang Donglin, Vice President of CNPC, told the OPEC Seminar in Vienna on Wednesday that China was helping to produce around half of Iraq’s output. The company’s JV with BP at the Rumaila field is producing 1.35 million barrels a day (bpd), while the company’s operations in Halfaya are now pumping 120,000 bpd, Donglin said.
The company has also dramatically ramped up production at the Ahdab field to 140,000 bpd, added Donglin.
Halfaya is located in the southeastern Iraq province of Maysan, and is one of seven supergiant oil fields in Iraq.
CNPC, together with Total and Malaysian oil companies won the production contract for the field on 11 December 2009 for a fee of $1.40 per barrel produced. Capacity building works began in March 2010. CNPC holds a 37.5% stake in the project.
