The underground of the Two Rivers Plain is filled with ancient and fiery black energy. In the exhibition hall in Baghdad, the energy handshake between China and Iraq has once again heated up - from oil field development to equipment manufacturing, from technology transfer to talent cultivation, a symbiotic energy chain spanning the Silk Road and the desert is constantly expanding.

Oil and gas exhibition successfully kicked off

The fourth four-day Iraq International Oil and Gas Exhibition was officially opened in Baghdad International Convention and Exhibition Center on the 8th. The exhibition gathered Iraqi local enterprises and many international energy enterprises, and was also an important exchange platform for China and Iraq to deepen energy connectivity based on the the Belt and Road framework. Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammad Hudayr, Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib and other senior government officials attended the opening ceremony.

Chinese enterprises share project achievements

Fang Jiazhong, General Manager of China Petroleum Iraq Company, stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that since 2008, China Petroleum has been working with partners to deeply cultivate the oil and gas market in Iraq, and has continued to develop and operate multiple key oil field projects in the area. On the basis of stabilizing oil and gas production capacity and ensuring energy supply, the enterprise actively promotes technology transfer, industrial empowerment and people's livelihood co construction, deeply practices the concept of mutually beneficial cooperation along the the Belt and Road, promotes China Iraq energy cooperation to be stable and farsighted, and injects momentum into Iraq's sustainable economic and social development.

Ma Cheng, Assistant General Manager of Zhenhua Oil Holdings Co., Ltd., introduced that Zhenhua Oil operates four oil field projects in Iraq, among which Dongba Oilfield is the only large-scale oil field in production around Baghdad. Currently, it produces 80000 barrels of crude oil per day, providing solid support for energy supply and local economic development in the Iraqi capital. In addition to the cooperation in the oil and gas industry, the enterprise, together with the Iraqi Ministry of Petroleum, established Zhenhua Petroleum Scholarship, and funded 59 Iraqi youth to study for master's and doctoral degrees in China, enriching the connotation of the Belt and Road cooperation with people to people exchanges.

An Haiyang, General Manager of CNOOC Iraq Branch, stated that since entering the Iraqi market in 2011, CNOOC has been continuously implementing independently developed core technologies and complete sets of equipment for oil and gas exploration and development, helping to improve the quality, efficiency, transformation and upgrading of the local oil and gas industry. At the same time, the enterprise actively cooperates with Baghdad University, Missan University and other local universities to carry out industry university research cooperation, cultivate local technical talents, and use technology empowerment to help the the Belt and Road energy co construction.

Li Shiguang, President of Zhongman Petroleum, stated that Iraq is the core overseas market for Zhongman Petroleum's layout. In 2025, Zhongman Petroleum will establish Babylon Petroleum Equipment Co., Ltd. in Basra Province, Iraq, to implement China's high-end oil and gas equipment manufacturing technology and production capacity locally. In the future, enterprises will continue to increase investment layout, expand cooperation fields, and help China Iran energy cooperation along the the Belt and Road improve and upgrade.

China Iran energy mutually beneficial progress

Iraq, as a core oil producing country of OPEC, has outstanding energy and resource endowments. In recent years, relying on the the Belt and Road cooperation platform, China and Iran have continued to deepen practical cooperation in the energy field. Chinese enterprises, relying on advanced technology, complete sets of equipment and mature operating experience, fully participate in Iraq's oil and gas exploration and development, engineering and technical services, energy infrastructure construction and other whole industry chain cooperation, which not only effectively improve Iraq's oil and gas production capacity, help local economic recovery, but also build an important link between the two countries' industries and people's hearts, and continue to shine a bright card of the Belt and Road energy cooperation.Editor/Gong Ziwei