Power blackout hits oil production in south

AHVAZ, Feb. 12 (MNA) – A local official of the Oil Ministry has said power blackout in Khuzestan province hit oil production, with 770,000 barrels of crude decline in production. The blackout mainly hit the oil producing platforms of the National Iranian South Oil Company. Mr. Mohsen Paknejad told an IRIB Radio program on Saturday that the blackout affected wider regions in the province, almost 11 cities and suburbs suffered from blackout, where oil production is usually carried out in the southern part of the province; “we are addressing the decline in oil production and will restore the level to that before the blackout; currently, Iran’s oil production totals 3.9 million barrels per day, 2.9 million barrels of which are produced by National Iranian South Oil Company,” he told the program. “The blackout caused a 20-per cent decline in production of oil; to compensate for this, we are planning to transfer some 300,000 barrels produced in Azadegan and West Karoun fields to Kharg Island oil terminals to prevent further decline,” Paknejad concluded.