TEHRAN - The director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC)'s Exploration Department said plans are underway for beginning new exploration operations in northeast of the country, Shana reported on Monday.

“Given the importance of energy supply in the region, exploration activities in the area are among NIOC’s top priorities,” Seyed Saleh Hendi said.

The official noted that although exploration activities are costly and with more risks in this area but considering the region’s great distance from the country’s energy resources in the center or south, NIOC has put it on the agenda to start such operations.

“We expect drilling equipment to start operation in the next Iranian calendar year (March 2020-March 2021),” he said.

Hendi further mentioned some unsuccessful drilling operations done in the region, saying that “This time we will use new technologies and by more intensive studies we will take all the steps with more precision.”

Elsewhere in his remarks the official mentioned new research agreements signed between NIOC’s Exploration Directorate and the country’s knowledge-based companies and universities and noted that such agreements will lead to new technologies and knowledge in this industry.

Last week, (NIOC)’s Exploration Directorate signed four agreements with Iranian universities and knowledge-based companies for research in various fields of geophysics, geochemistry, unconventional hydrocarbon resources and drilling.

The agreements include, a project for quantitative interpretation (QI) of Abadan plain’s seismic cube, research studies on Lorestan Province’s shale oil resources and geochemical study of some hydrocarbon reservoirs in southern Iran as well as a project for producing 10,000 barrels of a High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) drilling fluid.

Considering the challenges of exploring hydrocarbon resources in specific regions in the country, NIOC’s Exploration Directorate has identified various research projects and created a roadmap based on the country’s sixth five-year national development plan (2016-2021) and in line with its organizational strategies.

Since the reimposition of U.S. sanctions, Iran has been encouraging domestic companies’ presence in its oil and gas projects, both in exploration and in development sectors. 
In exploration sector, as there are many blocks waiting for exploration, NIOC is seriously following up the plans to lay the ground for the private sector’s contribution.

EF/MA