'New Iron Man' leads overseas oil expansion

In the following days, Li visited all the Chinese drilling teams he could and finally found a diesel generator of the same brand that had been taken out of service because it was in need of repair.

After a dozen days of maintenance and modification under the guidance of domestic experts by telephone, the borrowed generator started.

To prevent the old generator from overheating and damaging its electric motor, they had to keep pouring cold water on it.

Finally, the team successfully drilled its first crude oil well overseas in April 30, 2006.

In the following five years, Li's team drilled 60 wells, which made a considerable contribution to the company's overseas development. The team set 23 records and twice received the highest honor for drilling from the Chinese government.

In 2009, China National Petroleum Corp began to develop oilfields in Iraq. Due to his extensive experience overseas, good coordination skills and the ability to deal with emergencies in international environments, Li was chosen to be the manager of the Halfaya oilfield project in October 2010. However, Li found the situation in Iraq to be even more complicated.

"The city was in a state of devastation and tank wrecks could be found everywhere with black smoke billowing into the sky," he said. "The natural environment is not good, either. We often endured sandstorms that came without warning."

Before starting drilling work, Li only had access to some geological information from more than 30 years ago, which lacked key data.

After constant exploration and research, the team discovered an oil layer and successfully drilled several wells in a short period, bringing it recognition in the local market for its members' technical skills.

Even through the international oil market has continued to slump in recent years, Li's team has achieved new drilling contracts valued at 630 million yuan ($95 million), accounting for half of the Halfaya oilfield.

In July 2011, Li was awarded the title "New Iron Man" by China National Petroleum Corp.

"I feel honored that I have inherited the spirit of my predecessor, Wang, and followed in his footsteps." he said.

On Nov 12, when Li returned to his post in the Middle East after attending the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China as a delegate, he began to share his experiences and reflections with all the Party members in the company.

"I was encouraged to hear of the achievements mentioned by General Secretary Xi Jinping," Li said. "I wanted to communicate the spirit of the meeting to my colleagues overseas."

In the following week, he told more than 500 members of the branch about the Party's theories and policies and how socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.

However, Li said he regrets he has not been able to spend more time with his family. In the past decade, he has only celebrated Spring Festival with his family five times, and has only attended one parent's day at his son's school.

"Fortunately, I have received unceasing support from my family," he said. "I love them deeply, though I am not good at expressing it."