Iran to start tapping oilfield in Persian Gulf

TEHRAN,April 23(MNA) - Iran will start production at the Persian Gulf oilfield of Reshadat oilfield, in the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, IRNA quoted National Iranian Offshore Oilfields Company managing director Mahmoud Zirakchianzadeh as saying on Monday. Zirakchianzadeh said that Iran has launched projects to develop four oilfields, located in Persian Gulf, and raise the total output by 100,000 bpd in the current calendar year. “Some $9 billion worth of contracts were signed last year to develop Salman, Lavan and Forouz B fields,” Zirakchianzadeh told the Mehr news agency. This year, boosting outputs at Reshadat, Forouzan, Hengam and Hendijan fields by 100,000 bpd has been planned, he added. Previously, IRNA quoted Abbas Rajabkhani, an official at the Iranian Offshore Oil Company as saying that the Reshadat oilfield is projected to yield 22,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Iran has announced that it will implement 11 plans by the Iranian calendar month of Mordad 1392 (July 22-August 22, 2013) with the goal of boosting oil production by 175,000 barrels per day (bpd). The plans are related to the first phase of the development plans of the Yadavaran, Sarvestan, Saadatabad, Hengam, Forouzan, Reshadat, Aban, and Paydar oilfields, according to a report published by the National Iranian Oil Company on August 25. Once all the phases of the development plans are implemented, the output will be increased by 500,000 bpd. Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi has said that the country’s oil output is projected to increase by 1.5 million bpd by 2016.