Iraq has selected Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company to construct a seawater injection facility, according to Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, the director of Basra Oil Company, Reuters reported.

The $2.4-billion facility is part of the efforts to boost the Iraqi oil production capacity.

The project has to be completed within four years to produce around 5 million barrels per day (b/d) of water in order to reach a capacity of around 7.5 million b/d of water, Abdul Jabbar pointed out.

The deal is subject to the oil ministry’s approval.

Iraq has used seawater as an alternative for freshwater, which is a scarce resource in the country, to inject water into its wells and face the severe decline rates, especially in mature oilfields.