Seifollah Jashnsaz, also the managing director of National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC), added the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) had scores of experts and was one of the NIOC’s assets.

NIDC celebrated its 28^th anniversary on Dec. 22, 2007.

Jashnsaz, who was previously the NIDC managing director, said, “At present, we have 50 onshore and offshore drilling derricks that are not enough and studies show that we have to increase the derricks.”

He underlined the necessity to apply modern drilling technology and to drill new wells, calling them two main factors for boosting the production of crude oil, gas, and gas condensates.

The official termed drilling derrick as the symbol of oil industry.

The drilling manager of NISOC’s Technical Affairs Department said NISOC had drilled 54 development wells in the first three quarters of its current year (started March 21, 2007).

Hamid Bord added the wells with an over 187,000 meter depth were drilled in different fields, out of which more than 16,000 meters were of horizontal type that were carried out in 16 fields.

During the nine month period, 49 wells were repaired, said the official.

Producing over 83 percent of Iran’s oil, the NISOC is the main contracting party of the National Iranian Drilling Company. NISOC is the biggest affiliate of National Iranian Oil Company, which is working in a span of about 400,000 square kilometers in Khuzestan Province and some parts of Bushehr, Fars, and Kogilouyeh-Boyerahmad provinces.

Jashnsaz said the crude oil production of NISOC was 50 thousand barrels more than the figure targeted by the plan.

He said NISOC was currently producing 3.24 million barrels of oil, reiterating that the output was 50 thousand barrels beyond the targeted volume.

He offered a report on the company’s activities in the three fields of production, underway projects, and challenges.

The managing director said the company was conducting comprehensive and non-comprehensive studies on 80 reserves including Mansouri, Aghajari, and Maroun fields.

He added new fields would become operational by next March, pointing to Paranj field with a daily five thousand barrel production, Khaviz field with a daily output of three thousand barrels, and Mansourabad reserve with a six thousand barrel production per day.

Jashnsaz said Chahar-Bisheh and Palangan fields came on stream this year and the projects of Kaboud and Azadegan fields were underway.

Oil Minister Gholam-Hossein Nozari said NISOC was among the top oil producing companies of the world.

He said NISOC manpower’s capabilities excelled its current responsibilities and therefore their duties needed to be redefined in an attempt to take optimal advantage of its capacities. 

The minister urged NISOC managers to establish a framework to motivate the staff and encourage them to compete.

Addressing NISOC managers, Nozari said, “Given the company’s potentials, you should not feel satisfied with achievements and you have to outline more plans for greater successes.

“Such a strategy in NISOC, thanks to its impacts on domestic oil industry and economy, could encourage other sectors of oil industry to make greater efforts.”