The following is the full text of the interview Asakereh gave to “Iran Petroleum”:

Which projects is Khatam Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Holding currently focused upon?

Khatam al-Anbia HQ has, over recent years, operated numerous projects in the petroleum industry. It has currently many more under way. It has finished studying development of Mansouri, Ab Teimour, Farzad A and Farzad B. Their MDP is also over and we are ready to develop them. We are focused upon developing Azadegan, Yadavaran and Shadegan oil and Kish gas fields. We signed an MOU with National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) in February 2017 to develop Shadegan. Along with a foreign partner, we were supposed to prepare the financing model and MDP of the field during a six-month period, but the contract talks came to a halt due to the US’s unilateral pullout from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Are you partnering the Russians in the Shadegan field development?

Yes, to develop the Shadegan field, a trilateral agreement has been signed between two Iranian parties and a Russian party under the IPC model during President Ebrahim Raeesi’s visit to Russia. We are currently deciding about the share of each party in the project which would run during 20 years. Shadegan is to be developed by new drilling in the Asmari and Bangestan reservoirs for a 70,000 b/d output hike.

What is the most important challenge you are faced with in the Shadegan development?

Each field has its own specific features. However, Shadegan is a young one with a minimum of challenges. Therefore, we won’t need sophisticated technologies to raise its output. A major challenge in developing this field is the asphaltene production in the Bangestan reservoir, which necessitates foreign technology. We also need foreign investment to develop the field.

Is the Shadegan project the first cooperation between Khatam al-Anbia HQ and Russian firms?

Yes. We also held fruitful talks with Russia’s Tatneft in 2016 and 2017, but they were suspended following the US’s withdrawal from the JCPOA. During a recent visit to Russia by Iranian officials, a communications channel was set up between the two nations, which in turn prepared the ground for broader cooperation between Iranian and Russian companies. The agreement marks Russia’s first official engagement with Khuzestan.

Have you had any talks with regard to absorbing our own investment?

Yes, we have presented $1.5 billion worth of foreign investment documents for developing the field.

Have you held separate talks with the Russians for other oil and gas projects?

We are thinking of expanding our cooperation with the Russians. Therefore, we have proposed to negotiate development of the Ahvaz field with Russian companies. We are waiting for the agreement on the part of the CEO of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Should he agree, we will sign our MOU with the Russians to begin our studies. Ahvaz is one of the largest oil fields in Iran, maximum efficient recovery from which would require specific technologies. The Russians can help us reach this objective.

NIOC has signed a $40bn MOU with Gazprom to implement oil and gas project. Have you held any talks with this company?

Following the Petroleum Ministry’s instruction, we are in talks with Gazprom for developing the Kish gas field under the new model of oil contracts. We are still in the preliminary phases. The Russians are expected to bring in investment and technology. We have also effective logistical facilities in the Persian Gulf to serve the project.

What do you plan to do for the Azadegan field?

The MOU for the development of the Azadegan field was signed in June between NIOC and six Iranian banks and six E&P Iranian companies. We are one of them. We are currently examining frameworks of cooperation. But our priority in West Karoun is the Yadavaran field, which we are interested in the second phase of.

What projects do you have under EOR/IOR agreements?

Ahvaz 2, 4 and 5 to prevent a 30,000 b/d output fall and instead increase the field output by 42,000 b/d; Maroun 2, 5 and 6 to prevent a 20,000 b/d output falloff and instead increase the output by 30,000 b/d; and the offshore development of the Rashadat field were drilling 20 wells would allow a 70,000 b/d increase in output.

Could you tell us about the latest status of seismic testing in Paniz and Darreh Gaz, as well as exploration studies in Toudaj?

The Paniz seismic project is one of the largest offshore and onshore projects in the Middle East. We are currently in the final phases of seismic survey. The basic studies of the project were initially onshore-based, but following the 2019 flooding, the geopolitics of the region changed and the project’s design changed from onshore to offshore. We’re currently in the second half of the project. The seismic studies of Darreh Gaz along the border with Turkmenistan are over and we have informed the client of the results. As far as the Toudaj exploration block is concerned, we have to say that it is the first time an Iranian company is performing exploration studies. We have been tasked with evaluating geopolitical, geophysical and drilling data within the Toudaj area, as well as providing financial and technical proposals for the exploration operations.

In May, you signed an MOU with the Gas Engineering and Development Company (GEDC) to develop the Nasrabad salt dome in Kashan for natural gas storage. What phase is the project in now?

The MOU is worth $400 million. Over an 8-year period, we would build 9 storage tanks in this area, set up dehydration installations and install gas injection compressors with a view to bringing the storage capacity to 500 mcm of natural gas, which would be injected during 8 hot months to be used during 4 cold months of year. I have also to add that given the specific conditions of the reservoir, the project would allow for a 24 mcm/d production capacity. We are currently preparing the proposal to change the MOU into an agreement.

Courtesy of Iran Petroleum

Negar Sadeghi