OREANDA-NEWS. April 22, 2013. The second phase of CNPC's Halfaya Project kicked off. The Halfaya project consists of three phases. The first phase project became operational in June, 2012, and now producing at a daily rate of 100,000 barrels of crude and 2.6 million cubic meters of natural gas.

The second phase project, including 60 wells, a 272km-long trunk pipeline, and a 5Mt/a crude processing center, is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2014 and capable of outputting 200,000 barrels of crude per day. The third phase project, with a productivity target of 600,000 barrels per day, is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Karim Luaibi attended the ground-breaking ceremony, and cut the ribbons for the debut of the airport and operation control center at the Halfaya Oilfield. They also visited the oil and gas processing center of the first phase project and turned on the valve to feed gas to the Kahla power plant, which is going to be the first one in Iraq that generates electricity by burning associated natural gas.