As the first glimmers of dawn break, a hazy mist still lingers along the banks of the Tigris River. Around the Halfaya Oil Field in Missan Governorate, southern Iraq, the villager Haider strolls into his kitchen, commencing an ordinary yet brand-new day. He gently twists the knob of the gas stove. In an instant, a lively blue flame leaps up with a "whoosh", just like a magical elf that has been awakened. The corners of Haider's mouth turn up. As he brews his morning tea, he mutters with emotion, "This flame is really crucial. Cooking is much easier now, and I don't have to worry about sudden power outages in summer anymore. Life has become so much more comfortable."

Who could have imagined that this blue flame that has transformed Haider's life actually originates from a factory invested and constructed by a Chinese enterprise – the Halfaya Natural Gas Processing Plant. With a silent yet powerful force, it is reshaping the daily lives of countless ordinary Iraqis like Haider, and it is also carving out a path to break through the complex and thorny energy predicament in Iraq.

Iraq, beneath its land lies an enormous amount of oil and gas resources, truly a place that can be described as "extremely wealthy in oil and gas". However, after going through the baptism of war, the weaknesses in the links of oil refining and natural gas processing have become fully evident. "Gas shortages" and "electricity shortages" have hung over the country like dark clouds, and Iraq has long relied on importing natural gas and electricity from Iran to keep its operations going. In March this year, the United States terminated Iraq's sanctions exemption for importing electricity from Iran and has been pressing hard, demanding that Iraq stop importing natural gas from Iran. Energy independence has instantly become an urgent issue that concerns the economic pulse of Iraq and the well-being of its people.

Just at this moment, the Halfaya Natural Gas Processing Plant was officially put into production, like a timely rain. This factory, carefully built by China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation, was announced to be completed and put into operation in June last year. It is the first large-scale oil and gas coordinated project in Iraq. It is like a super "energy converter", capable of processing about 3 billion cubic meters of associated petroleum gas from the oil field every year. Among them, about 2.25 billion cubic meters of commercial natural gas is transported to downstream power plants, turning into 5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is sufficient for 4 million households. The local problem of electricity shortage has been greatly alleviated. Moreover, nearly 860,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas are produced here every year. Tank trucks, fully loaded, head towards Missan Governorate and the surrounding areas, improving the lives of residents. Approximately 900,000 tons of light crude oil and 15,000 tons of industrial-grade sulfur are also produced simultaneously, comprehensively enhancing the local social and economic benefits.

When talking about the project construction, Jiang Feng, General Manager of the Middle East Region Company of China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation, is full of pride: "The Halfaya Natural Gas Processing Plant has applied a large number of world-class Chinese technologies and products. We have not only built a factory but also deeply rooted the concept of sustainable development here."

Zainab, a local Iraqi employee working in the factory, every time she sees tank trucks fully loaded with liquefied petroleum gas driving away in an orderly manner, her eyes are filled with excitement and anticipation: "Look, natural gas has become a 'golden resource' that drives the economic takeoff. I'm truly happy about this change from the bottom of my heart!"

Last year, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani personally attended the project's commissioning ceremony and turned the valve with his own hands. He spoke highly of the Halfaya Natural Gas Processing Plant: "This is a shining example of Iraq-China cooperation, laying a solid foundation for Iraq's efficient utilization of natural gas and ensuring its power supply."

Over the 15 years since Chinese enterprises entered the Halfaya Oil Field, they have always implemented the concept of green development to the fullest, especially sparing no effort in environmental protection. The southeast direction of the Halfaya contract block is adjacent to the Al-Hawizeh Marshes, which is protected by the Ramsar Convention. The ecological environment is extremely fragile and sensitive. According to Fang Jiazhong, General Manager of PetroChina (Iraq) Halfaya Company, the Chinese side strictly adheres to international environmental protection standards, invests a large amount of funds in the ecological protection of the marshes, and regularly monitors water, soil, the atmosphere, and biodiversity. Such efforts have been highly effective. The "paradise" for migratory birds has been properly protected, winning unanimous recognition and praise from the Iraqi government and local people. Zainab sincerely exclaimed: "The environmental protection awareness of Chinese enterprises is truly admirable. They reduce carbon emissions and pollution during the development of the oil field and also take great care of the marshes, which is of great significance for Iraq's sustainable development."

As the dusk deepens, the Halfaya Natural Gas Processing Plant is brightly lit, interweaving with the lights of thousands of households in the distant villages and shining brightly. This factory, which embodies the painstaking efforts of China-Iraq cooperation, is continuously injecting powerful impetus into Iraq's energy independence and green development, holding up a future full of hope. (This article is from the official website of Seetao.com, www.seetao.com. No reprinting is allowed without permission. Otherwise, legal liability will be pursued. If reprinting, please indicate Seetao.com + the original text link.) Editor of the Strategic Column of Seetao.com / Yin Shiqian