PetroChina has issued the first tenders for the development of the Halfaya oil field in southern Iraq.

Sources told the Dow Jones news agency that the tenders released so far includes the engineering, procurement and construction contract for an oil storage and filling station and an  acidizing stimulation service system. Deadlines for the bids are the 26 and 27 September.  

PetroChina is developing the giant untapped field as the leader of a consortium with France’s Total, Malaysia’s Petronas and Iraq’s Missan oil Company.  

The consortium has pledged to increase the output of the field to 535,000 barrels-a-day from the Halfaya, which has proven crude oil reserves of 4.1 billion barrels.

The Iraq Oil Ministry has also stated that the Gharraf field, also in Southern Iraq, will begin drilling for oil at the end of 2010 (MEED 12:9:10).