Italian energy company Eni has opened three new plants for oil, gas, and water treatment in the Zubair oil and gas field in Southern Iraq.

The new plants in combination with the existing ones will help to increase the current oil and gas treatment capacity to an overall level of 650,000b/d, Hydrocarbons-Technology reported.

The southern Iraqi plants are located in the area of Hammar – with a total capacity of 200,000b/d, and of Zubair and Rafydia – each with a capacity of 50,000b/d, EuropaWire informed.  Hammar and Zubair have already started production as well as exportation, whereas Rafydia will be launching activities by the end of this March.

Zubair, which is located near Bassora in Southern Iraq, is operated by Eni on behalf of the Iraqi state company South Oil Company (SOC).

The current production of the field is around 360,000b/d and the plan is to achieve 850,000b/d over the next few years. Eni ‘s equity production in 2015 was 40,000boe/d.