STORY: China's CNPC becomes lead contractor for Iraq's West Qurna 1 oilfield
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 1, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 2, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:21
LOCATION: Baghdad
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the handover ceremony
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): BASSIM MOHAMMED KHUDAIR, Iraqi deputy oil minister for extraction affairs
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHEN MINGZHUO, General manager of the Project
4. various of the West Qurna 1 oilfield in Iraq

STORYLINE:

China's leading oil and gas producer, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), officially took over from U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil as the lead contractor for Iraq's West Qurna 1 oilfield on Monday.

Iraqi officials, Chinese diplomats, and representatives of oil companies attended the handover ceremony.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): BASSIM MOHAMMED KHUDAIR, Iraqi deputy oil minister for extraction affairs
"We congratulate CNPC for being the main contractor in this contract, and we have full confidence in CNPC, with its manpower, strategy, and vision, that this project will continue successfully and all activities will be implemented in the required time."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHEN MINGZHUO, General manager of the project
"The CNPC will adhere to the principle of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, follow the vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and ensure a smooth handover and orderly transition."

The West Qurna 1 oilfield, located about 50 km northwest of Basra, the capital of the namesake province, is one of Iraq's largest oilfields, with an estimated annual crude oil output of more than 25 million tonnes.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Baghdad.
(XHTV)