According to NIOC, Hamid Bovard said the start of drilling at the Belal field marks a milestone in efforts to expand the country’s gas production capacity and could play an effective role in reducing the energy supply gap. He said entering this phase signals a new period of technical and engineering efforts aimed at strengthening the resilience of the national energy network.

He thanked the oil minister for his support and noted the close cooperation between Pars Oil and Gas Company and the Petropars Group, adding that progress in the Belal field development plan is the result of constructive coordination between the client and the contractor.

Bovard emphasized that the parallel progress of drilling, deck construction and pipeline installation demonstrates the technical and managerial capability of domestic specialists, and said the project is advancing according to schedule. With drilling underway and construction and installation continuing, the Belal field development plan is moving rapidly toward final preparation for gas production.

The Belal field is located about 30 kilometers southeast of the South Pars field, 90 kilometers southwest of Lavan Island, and at a water depth of roughly 70 meters in the Persian Gulf, along the shared maritime border between Iran and Qatar. The field is estimated to hold about 3 trillion cubic feet of gas in place and more than 100 million barrels of proven condensate in place.