24 November 2010
A major oil layer was discovered beneath the country's Ferdowsi gas field off the coast of Persian Gulf in southern Iran, a top Iranian official said.
Managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company Ali Vakili said the new layer has an in-situ reserve capacity of 34 billion barrels.
"The new oil layer is regarded as one of the biggest layers in the country and it is located beneath Ferdowsi gas field," Vakili said at a meeting of Iranian oil industry's senior managers in Tehran on Sunday.
"We are currently digging an oil rig to complete our assessments," he was quoted by Shana as saying.
Regarding Iran's giant South Pars gas field, Vakili said all the wells in phases 9 and 10 have come on stream while phases 15 and 18 will begin production next year.
Phase 12 of the South Pars field is scheduled to come online in 2012, he added.
Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi said in October that a new oilfield had been discovered in southern Iran, increasing the country's proven oil reserves to 150.31 billion barrels.
He also announced the discovery of a new gas field -- named Sefid (white) -- in Iran's southern province of Hormuzgan, saying that the field contains "70 billion cubic meters of gas, 72 percent of which can be exploited."
"Over the course of the past six months, the country's oil and gas reserves have been reassessed.
According to the latest studies, the country's oil reserves have reached 150.31 billion barrels," the Shana quoted Mirkazemi as saying.
He said exploration efforts would continue for the discovery of new fields, adding that the volume of the country's reserves "will definitely increase" by the end of the Iranian calendar year on March 20, 2011.
Earlier this year, an Iranian oil official announced plans to explore new reserves of 500 million barrels of oil and 5 trillion cubic feet of gas per year in a five year plan.
National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) director of exploration Mahmoud Mohaddes said that Iran has discovered 19 new oilfields and eight new gas reserves during its Fourth Five-Year Development Plan (2005-2010).
Iran is OPEC's second-largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia. It holds around 10 percent of the world oil reserves. In 2009, Iran's revenue from oil exports reached $69.1 billion and it exported approximately 3.8 million barrels per day.
The Persian Gulf country sits on the world's second-largest gas reserves after Russia.
A major oil layer was discovered beneath the country's Ferdowsi gas field off the coast of Persian Gulf in southern Iran, a top Iranian official said.
Managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company Ali Vakili said the new layer has an in-situ reserve capacity of 34 billion barrels.
"The new oil layer is regarded as one of the biggest layers in the country and it is located beneath Ferdowsi gas field," Vakili said at a meeting of Iranian oil industry's senior managers in Tehran on Sunday.
"We are currently digging an oil rig to complete our assessments," he was quoted by Shana as saying.
Regarding Iran's giant South Pars gas field, Vakili said all the wells in phases 9 and 10 have come on stream while phases 15 and 18 will begin production next year.
Phase 12 of the South Pars field is scheduled to come online in 2012, he added.
Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi said in October that a new oilfield had been discovered in southern Iran, increasing the country's proven oil reserves to 150.31 billion barrels.
He also announced the discovery of a new gas field -- named Sefid (white) -- in Iran's southern province of Hormuzgan, saying that the field contains "70 billion cubic meters of gas, 72 percent of which can be exploited."
"Over the course of the past six months, the country's oil and gas reserves have been reassessed.
According to the latest studies, the country's oil reserves have reached 150.31 billion barrels," the Shana quoted Mirkazemi as saying.
He said exploration efforts would continue for the discovery of new fields, adding that the volume of the country's reserves "will definitely increase" by the end of the Iranian calendar year on March 20, 2011.
Earlier this year, an Iranian oil official announced plans to explore new reserves of 500 million barrels of oil and 5 trillion cubic feet of gas per year in a five year plan.
National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) director of exploration Mahmoud Mohaddes said that Iran has discovered 19 new oilfields and eight new gas reserves during its Fourth Five-Year Development Plan (2005-2010).
Iran is OPEC's second-largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia. It holds around 10 percent of the world oil reserves. In 2009, Iran's revenue from oil exports reached $69.1 billion and it exported approximately 3.8 million barrels per day.
The Persian Gulf country sits on the world's second-largest gas reserves after Russia.
© Iran Daily 2010
