According to the Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC), project manager Shobeir Nabavi said the drilling, completion, extensive acid stimulation and commissioning of the two wells have been successfully finalized.

Nabavi noted that infill drilling in the shared South Pars gas field ranks among the project’s most challenging operations due to operational constraints, engineering complexities and the need to access previously undeveloped sections of the reservoir. He said one of the newly completed wells, located at the Phase 15 border platform, represents a rare technical achievement for Iran’s drilling industry.

Phase 15 Well Among South Pars’ Longest

Nabavi said perforation operations on the well were successfully carried out across an extended reservoir interval using the Tubing Conveyed Perforating (TCP) method, considered the most effective approach for the project. The operation was completed through cooperation between POGC, Petroiran Development Company and Drilling International Limited (DCI).

He described the project as one of the most technically complex operations undertaken among more than 400 wells drilled in South Pars.

The well, one of the longest in the field, was drilled to a depth exceeding 5,000 meters before being completed, activated and flow-tested. It is expected to be connected to production facilities during scheduled platform shutdowns to help offset reservoir pressure decline and enhance long-term production stability.

Phase 3 Well to Support Sustainable Output

Nabavi also announced the completion of another well at the SPD3 border platform. The well, developed in cooperation with POGC and Pasargad Energy Development Company, has a measured length of more than 5,000 meters and becomes the platform’s 11th producing well.

He said the well was drilled to improve flowing pressure at the platform, compensate for pressure depletion caused by more than 23 years of continuous production and extend the period of stable gas output. The well is now ready for handover to operations.

Complex Drilling Conditions

Nabavi cited several challenges associated with South Pars infill drilling, including long well trajectories, high well angles, navigating drilling paths between existing wells to reach less-depleted reservoir sections, wellbore instability in fragile formations and conducting simultaneous drilling and production operations (SIMOPS).

Additional complexities include the use of vacant slots on producing platforms, single-well drilling instead of batch drilling programs and the heavy mechanical and electrical loads imposed on drilling equipment.

He said the project continued without interruption during the country’s recent periods of heightened tension, maintaining integrated supply chains for equipment, materials and logistics while coordinating drilling and production activities with a broad network of contractors and service providers. He said the project demonstrated the resilience and self-sufficiency of Iran’s oil and gas industry in managing operational challenges.

The South Pars infill drilling program includes 35 wells across 17 gas platforms in the giant field. Upon completion, the project is expected to add approximately 36 million cubic meters per day to Iran’s natural gas production capacity.