National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC) tested production limits last month to prove a claim of 4 million b/d capacity made at September's meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OGJ, Sept. 28, p. 34).
Onshore fields account for 3.6 million b/d of the total, with offshore fields providing the rest. NIOC plans to expand total capacity to 4.5 million b/d by April 1993, consisting of 4 million b/d onshore and 500,000 b/d offshore.
Middle East Economic Survey says questions remain about completion dates for gas injection, drilling, and offshore projects, but expansion targets are attainable within the scheduled time.
NIOC said some slippage may be unavoidable, but it is confident the objective will be reached by third quarter 1993 at the latest.
More than 60 rigs are working or about to be taken under contract to boost development drilling in onshore fields and provide gas injection in some. NIOC has spent $3.2 billion in foreign exchange on the drilling program in the last 2 1/2 years.
Five fields now use gas injection, totaling almost 4 bcfd. By the end of the project, 12 fields will receive injection volumes amounting to more than 8 bcfd.
Most of Iran's recent 280,000 b/d offshore production came from Forozan, Doroud Abuzar fields, all linked to Kharg Island. Much of the shortfall will be made up by Salman field, which is being commissioned after its production platform was destroyed by U.S. Marines in April 1988.
Test production reached 140,000 b/d during September in Salaman, which was expected to go on stream at that level at the end of October.
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