He emphasized: "Private sector participation and the enhancement of technical infrastructure play a key role in overcoming current challenges."

While Iran's oil industry faces challenges such as natural production decline, limitations in drilling equipment, and the necessity for optimal resource utilization, the development of oil fields, especially undeveloped ones, has been prioritized as a key strategy.

Farokh Naseri-Karimvand, NISOC's Technical Manager, in an interview with SHANA correspondent, detailed the actions and plans that can steer the oil industry towards sustainable production, increased recovery factor, and maximum utilization of existing capacities. This interview examines the most important technical and executive aspects of this national strategy.

What actions are on the agenda to achieve the long-term goals of the oil industry?

To achieve the set goals in the oil industry, we need investment and the development of all fields, especially green fields (undeveloped fields). Development plans for most of these fields have been formulated or are in their final stages. Implementing these plans requires increasing the number of drilling rigs, developing ancillary services such as mobile workover rigs for remedial operations, as well as establishing processing facilities with private sector participation.

What is the role of energy consumption management in achieving these goals?

Energy consumption management, especially in the gas sector, is particularly important. By saving just 10 to 20 percent in gas consumption, we can enable its injection into fields such as Marun, Kupal, Pars, Koranj, Aghajari, Lab-Sefid, Gachsaran, and Bibi Hakimeh. This action will improve the recovery factor, increase production, and maximize the use of capacities. Furthermore, the operationalization of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects paints a brighter horizon for increasing production.

Given the natural production decline in the fields, what solution have you considered?

The natural production decline, resulting from reservoir characteristics and well behavior, leads to a production loss of over 500,000 barrels per year in these fields. To compensate for this decline, our main focus is on well workover operations, as using mobile workover rigs for these operations is faster and more cost-effective than re-drilling.

Is the current capacity sufficient to carry out these operations?

Unfortunately, our fleet of mobile workover rigs is very limited compared to the existing need. If this equipment is supplied from abroad or if domestic production capacity is developed, we can compensate for part of the backlog from recent years.

What is the status of drilling rig construction in the country?

The Academic Jihad has so far produced three rigs with a capacity of 2,000 horsepower, the third of which was inaugurated in the presence of the Oil Minister in Khuzestan province. However, the industry's need for drilling rigs far exceeds the existing capacity, and more serious planning must be done to supply them.

What role do desalination projects play in sustainable production?

Currently, desalination projects have been defined for 11 oil fields and are in the contracting phase. The implementation of these plans will create a significant leap in sustainable production. Salt and produced water are serious obstacles to maintaining the quality and quantity of production. With the completion of the desalination projects, achieving production targets and utilizing existing capacities will become possible.