07-12-04

n the past seven years, 8 oil fields and 11 gas fields have been discovered in Iran, said a senior NIOC official. Director of Exploration Affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company, Mahmoud Mohades further said that over 253,000 km of Iran’s area have been under study within 16 exploration blocks to identify probable hydrocarbon reserves.

Mohades said that 51 exploration blocks have been specified to review the hydrocarbon capacities of the country, 16 of which have been given priority as per decision of the NIOC and approval of the Majlis (parliament).

Contracts for exploration and expansion of these blocks will be signed simultaneously and accordingly the contractor will be present in the exploration field for a long-term period of about 25 years.
Review of the technical affairs of five blocks including those of Khorramabad, Saveh, Garmsar, Kohdasht has started, he said.

Mohades cited giving priority to expansion activities and improvement of exploration operations, supply of oil and gas needed by the country, cooperation with international oil companies and evaluation of mechanisms to attain the perspectives designed for the oil industry as the main objectives of exploration operations of the NIOC.
He stressed that making use of modern technology plays an important role in materializing these objectives.

He said that NIOC invests over $ 200 mm in the exploration section annually from its internal reserves. It has also had under exploration studies about 237,000 sq km of land in the country in cooperation with Iranian and non-Iranian International companies so far.
He added that the results of joint studies with international oil companies indicate that the possibility of oil exploration is considerable in Iran.

He said that since the year 2000 until now, implementation of seven exploration projects in seven areas with a total area of 37,300 sq km has been delegated to 13 oil companies from 11 countries, for which Iran is to invest $ 360 mm.
He also stressed continuation of exploration activities by the NIOC to increase the crude oil reserves of the country.