Chevron Corporation, the US Oil Company, has restarted its drilling operations in the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI), Reuters reported.

“Chevron can confirm that it has resumed its activities in the KRI and we have restarted drilling operations at our Sarta 3 well,” said Sally Jones, Chevron Spokeswoman, according to NRT News.

Chevron had previously halted operations in the region temporarily in October 2017, following the controversial independence referendum, which had resulted into tensions between the semiautonomous area’s government and Iraq.

Before the suspension, the US Company had drilled one oil field in the firm’s Sarta block, which is located in Iraqi Kurdistan, after a two-year gap.