Secure oil and gas supply does not depend on the nominal capacity of fields alone. What sustains production over the long term is a combination of reservoir management, well maintenance, equipment readiness, completion of development projects and optimal use of existing facilities. This matters especially across ICOFC's operating areas, from the Southern Zagros gas fields to the eastern production and storage facilities and the western oil and gas fields. Each faces different geology, operating conditions and needs.

The company's first-half record shows above-plan output in several areas. In Southern Zagros, gas production reached 106 percent of plan and oil production 101 percent. In the west, oil output hit 103 percent of its assigned target, and gas from the Tang-e Bijar field reached 106 percent of plan. In the east, gas production rose by 1 bcm against the same period last year.

Together with drilling and well-workover programmes, pipeline expansion, and higher gas production and storage capacity, these figures show how the company is trying to preserve its output and meet the country's energy needs.

Southern Zagros: relying on gas output and maintaining field capacity

The Southern Zagros operating areas are among the main gas producers in the ICOFC portfolio. Their first-half 1405 performance shows oil and gas output passing approved plans, with 106 percent of the gas target and 101 percent of the oil target met.

According to figures from the Southern Zagros Oil and Gas Production Company, gas output in the area reached about 24.945 bcm in the first half. During the period it also produced 6.7 million barrels of gas liquids and about 1.4 million barrels of oil. Gas output was around 6 percent above the assigned commitment for the period.

The significance of this is clearer given the contribution of the main fields. About 41 percent of Southern Zagros gas comes from the Parsian gas fields, which underlines how much depends on well condition, facilities and supporting projects there.

In the gas industry, production capacity cannot be maintained by existing wells alone. Reservoir pressure decline, well conditions, facility constraints and the need for periodic repairs all affect deliverable gas. Developing pressure-boosting stations and completing the related infrastructure at producing fields, alongside well maintenance, is therefore part of stabilising output.

In Southern Zagros, the pressure-boosting station projects at the Tabnak, Kangan and Homa fields are among those drawing attention. They aim to support production capacity and improve operating conditions, and finishing them on time could help sustain the fields' output.

A programme to drill and repair about 20 wells over the Southern Zagros company's five-year horizon fits the same framework. New wells create new production capacity, and repairing existing ones can bring some lost or restricted capacity back into service. However, the effect of each operation depends on the well's technical condition and the final results of the work.

Production for the four cold-season months is planned at about 161 million cubic metres of gas per day, against a stated commitment of 159.6 million cubic metres per day for the period. About 15,500 barrels of oil per day is also planned for this span.

The gap between planned output and the commitment represents planned capacity whose delivery depends on well stability, equipment readiness and field operating conditions. Seen this way, maintaining production in Southern Zagros is not just a quantitative goal but part of the plan for stable gas supply during the high-demand period.

The east: higher output and stronger winter supply backing

In eastern Iran, the performance of the East Oil and Gas Production Company combines higher field output, expanded well capacity and use of gas storage capacity. According to published figures, its first-half 1405 gas output was 1 bcm higher than the same period last year, which highlights the region's capacity to supply gas to the north-eastern provinces.

The Khangiran, Toos and Gonbadli fields are important links in the area's gas production chain. Beyond field output, processing and transmission facilities and storage reservoirs also play a role in supply stability. In cold regions, the importance of this chain goes beyond daily output: the ability to raise deliveries on peak-demand days and keep equipment ready for continuous operation matter too.

On well development, Well No. 97 in the Khangiran field has come on stream with a daily capacity of 1.3 million cubic metres of gas. Drilling of Well No. 4 in the Toos field has finished, and production is expected in mid-autumn once surface facilities are installed.

If the projected capacity is realised, new wells entering service could bolster the region's production base. Their final contribution, however, depends on reservoir conditions, well-test results, completion of facilities and the ability to transport the gas. For that reason, completing surface operations and connecting a well to the gathering and processing network matters as much as finishing the drilling.

Storage as a complement to field output

One operational advantage in eastern Iran is gas storage capacity in the Shurijeh reservoir. According to published information, more than 1.77 bcm of gas had been injected into the Shurijeh D reservoir by the end of the first half, equal to 107 percent of the approved plan for the period.

Gas storage is not a substitute for continuous field production; it is a tool for managing consumption swings over the year. In low-demand periods gas is injected into the reservoir so it can be withdrawn and delivered on peak days or when production or transmission may be constrained. Good storage performance alongside stable field output can therefore make the gas supply network more flexible.

Published information on the East company also cites a storage capacity of 10 million cubic metres and a withdrawal target of 18 million cubic metres. To compare these indicators accurately with actual performance, it would need to be clear whether each figure refers to daily capacity, stored volume or a periodic operating target, since the indicators are not technically interchangeable.

Alongside production and storage, facility readiness, equipment inspection and safety compliance are also essential to keeping operations running. According to the information released, the East company delivered more than 18,000 person-hours of safety training in the first half, issued more than 10,000 hot- and cold-work permits and carried out four operational drills.

Together with production and maintenance programmes, these measures help prepare people and equipment to work under varying operating conditions. In a region where falling temperatures can quickly raise gas delivery needs, managing production, storage, safety and equipment reliability at once is especially important.

The west: exceeding output commitments and completing the gas-gathering chain

In the western operating areas, first-half 1405 performance shows oil output at 103 percent of plan and Tang-e Bijar gas output at 106 percent. Because facilities are widely dispersed, the terrain is difficult and some fields lie in hard-to-reach areas, the region depends heavily on continuous equipment maintenance and good access to wells and facilities.

Alongside maintaining oil and gas output, an important infrastructure priority in the area is gathering and transporting associated gas. Associated gas comes out of the reservoir during oil production, and without gathering and transport infrastructure its optimal use is limited. Building pipelines and completing the transmission chain makes it possible to use this gas at processing facilities.

Accordingly, a 48-kilometre, 12-inch Danan pipeline is planned to carry 15 million cubic feet of associated gas to the Dehloran pressure-boosting station. Completing it will close the final link in the feedstock chain for the NGL 3100 plant and could strengthen the connection between field output, associated-gas collection and processing.

The operational value of such projects goes beyond laying pipe. Completing the gathering chain lets produced gas flow to downstream facilities and turns existing capacity into real usable output. Even so, assessing how much additional recoverable production or what economic benefit the project brings will require operating data and its final performance.

On equipment maintenance, measures mentioned include reopening the Baba Habib road, expanding communications infrastructure in operating areas, upgrading well-service equipment, overhauling machinery and turbines, rebuilding the Dehloran and Sarkan control rooms, and fixing the effluent system at the Dehloran desalting unit.

These measures cover different parts of the production cycle. Good road access improves the dispatch of personnel and equipment, machinery and turbine readiness affects facility reliability, and fixing control and process systems can improve operating conditions. In an area with scattered fields and difficult terrain, each can help cut operational interruptions and sustain output.

Process safety is also a requirement for stable production in the west. According to published information, the West Oil and Gas Production Company has recorded no process incidents in the past two and a half years. Keeping that record requires regular inspection programmes, risk management, equipment maintenance and adherence to safety procedures at every stage of production.

From production figures to sustainable operating capacity

The performance of ICOFC's three operating areas shows that higher output and sustained withdrawal capacity depend on a range of factors. In Southern Zagros, above-plan output goes together with pressure-boosting station development and a well repair and drilling programme. In the east, higher gas output has come with development of the Khangiran and Toos wells and the performance of the Shurijeh storage reservoir. In the west, exceeding the output commitment is linked to completing associated-gas transmission infrastructure and improving the reliability of operating equipment.

The common thread is the need to turn the nominal capacity of fields into sustained, deliverable production. A well ready to produce cannot raise network capacity on its own without sufficient gathering and transmission facilities. Likewise, pipelines and processing plants do not amount to operational capacity without stable field output. Coordination among drilling, repairs, operations, maintenance and infrastructure development is what links these parts.

Planning for the cold season also requires attention at once to daily output, storage, withdrawal capacity and facility reliability. Rising winter gas demand raises the importance of well and equipment readiness, and any disruption in production, processing or transmission can affect the gas available for delivery.

On this basis, the first-half production figures should be read alongside the regions' operational and development measures. Beating plan is a sign of good performance in a specific period, but sustaining this output in coming months will depend on reservoir conditions, well stability, the results of repair work, project completion and operating conditions.

To keep its role in supplying the country's oil and gas, ICOFC has to balance using existing capacity against developing new capacity. Continued maintenance, completion of wells under development, stronger gathering and transmission infrastructure and effective use of storage capacity are the main elements of this path, and its results are measured not just by one period's production figures but by the ability to sustain output and deliver energy reliably throughout the year.