TEHRAN- Production of oil from West Karoun oilfields is expected to increase by 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 19, 2020), IRNA reported on Thursday, quoting an oil official as saying.

According to Reza Dehqan, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC)’s deputy of development and engineering affairs, oil production from the fields in this region increased by 10,000 bpd in the first half of the current year.

The official also noted that NIOC is in talks with China’s Sinopec for developing Yadavaran oil field.

“Oil production from Azar oil field is also going to increase by 35,000 bpd in the mentioned period, to reach 65,000, while the output from West Paydar and Aban fields are set to rise to 12,000 by yearend,” he said.

According to Dehqan, a Russian consortium is working on the development project of West Paydar and Aban oil fields.

Referring to Azadegan oil field, the official said we have no plans to cooperate with any Chinese company in the South Azadegan and this field is expected to be developed by an Iranian company, however CNPC is already working on North Azadegan and the field is operational.

West Karoun oilfields which Iran shares with Iraq at the western part of Iran’s southwestern region of Karoun include five major fields namely North Azadegan, South Azadegan, North Yaran, South Yaran and Yadavaran.

West Karoun holds great importance for the country’s oil industry since according to the latest studies, its in-situ deposit is estimated to be 67 billion barrels containing both light and heavy crude oils, and therefore it could have a big impact on Iran’s oil output increases in the future.

With the fields fully operational, their output could add 1.2 million bpd to the country’s oil production capacity.

EF/MA