Offshore staff
TEHRAN, Iran – A project is under way to analyze hydrocarbon formation systems in the Oman Sea and Persian Gulf.
Iran’s Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) is managing the three-year, $25.8-million Persian Gulf Pearl program.
According to Mahmoud Zirakchianzadeh, managing director of National Iranian Offshore Oil Co. (NIOOC), the aim is to study using 3D modeling the existing hydrocarbon layers and to reconstruct the history of sediment deposition in the area since the Paleolithic era.
The study covers 183,500 sq km (70,850 sq mi) and takes in 80 geological formations, 17 oil and gas fields, and 490 oil and gas wells. Additionally, it will identify areas with a relatively low exploration risk, and with potential for more hydrocarbons.
NIOOC signed a contract for the project last October with RIPI and contractor Dana Geophysics.
Zirakchianzadeh told news service Shana that NIOOC would conduct another study on enhancing recovery from more than 50 of the company’s reservoirs. A university and a non-Iranian company will perform the work, selecting as many as 10 reservoirs for implementation of new recovery techniques to suit a variety of reservoir rocks and fluids.
Zirachinazadeh added that widespread seismic operations were under way off Iran, to identify new reservoirs and ways of raising production capacity.
NIOOC plans to increase its oil and gas production capacity by 4% this year, and seeks to invest $25 billion to achieve this target.
8/02/2012
