Ahvaz, Khouzestan Prov. - Naji Sa'douni, the managing director of Iran's Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (MATN), says there is a plan on early production from North Azadegan field.
Sa'douni, commenting on likely delays in commissioning of the field, said North Azadegan field is being developed as planned and it will become operational in the next 17 to 18 months. The first phase of the field with the capacity of producing 75,000 barrels of oil per day will start operation soon.
He said 15 wells have thus far been drilled in the field and most probably the drilling operations will be completed by end of the year or early next year.
National Iranian Drilling Company's (NIDC) has put into operation the third drilling rig at the North Azadegan oil field, southwest Iran. The company plans to install four drilling rigs at the oil field, according to Shana news agency.
The Azadegan oil field is located close to the Iraqi border. The field holds around 33.2 billion barrels of in-situ oil deposit, of which 5.2 billion barrels are recoverable. Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said in August 2011 that the Iranian government should consider plans for the development of joint oil fields in the border areas with Iraq.
The government should increase the budgets for the development of joint oil fields, Qasemi added. The oil industry's infrastructure needs more than 500 trillion rials (about $41 billion) of investment to achieve objectives of the 20-Year Outlook Plan, which ends in 2025, Qasemi was quoted as saying.
Based on latest reports, the National Drilling Company of Iran's 4th land drilling rig was set up in North Azadegan Oilfield as part of the first phase of the project to develop the oilfield, a company official said.
The NIDC deputy managing director, Mohammad Reza Takayedi said the Fath 37, 65 and 88 drilling rigs, that are among the company's most advanced ones, have already been in operation.
He said the company plans to drill 22 development wells in the oilfield within the first phase of the project.
Takayedi added that between 2000 and 2003, NIDC drilled 6 descriptive-exploration wells in the oilfield and that following specialized analyses and studies, drilling resumed in 2007.
"Since 2007, 19 development wells have been drilled and completed by the company. It raises the total number of wells to 25."
Azadegan Oilfield, consisting of the north and south parts, is in Khuzestan province. With an area of approximately 900 square kilometers, it is among the largest oilfields.
With the efforts of Iranian experts, protective production in the southern part of the oilfield began in 2007 and drilling in the northern part started in 2011. In the first development phase, daily production of 75,000 barrels of oil has been predicted in the filed. The total oil reserves of Azadegan Oilfield are estimated at about 6.5 billion barrels.
On South Azadegan field, Sa'douni said presently two jackets are set up in the field and by next 52 months, 120,000 barrels of oil will be produced in the field.
Elsewhere in the interview, Sa'douni commented on Yadavaran field north of Khorramshahr and said early production from the field to the tune of 20,000 barrels has started for few months and "we plan to raise the amount." The first phase of the field will be operational by the next 16 to 17 months.
© IRNA 2012
