Iran discovers two new oilfields

TEHRAN,Jan.8(MNA)--Iran discovered two new oilfields, an official with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said, adding that details on the discovery will soon be announced by the Oil Ministry. Mahmoud Mohaddes told that exploratory operations are underway in border provinces and across the Persian Gulf, as well. Iran plans to commission seven new drilling rigs in the South Pars gas field by September next year. Fir the time being, 11 drilling rigs are in operation in 13 phases of the gas field. Developing all the phases will boost Iran’s gas output by 700 million cubic meters per day, the report added. The South Pars gas field is shared by Iran and Qatar. The Iranian share, which is divided into 29 phases, has about 14 trillion cubic meters of gas, or about eight percent of the total world reserves, and more than 18 billion barrels of liquefied natural gas resources. Iran plans to increase the number of its drilling rigs operating in its onshore and offshore oilfields by 36 units to reach 134 units by March 2014, the National Iranian Oil Company’s (NIOC) managing director said. Ahmad Qalebani told that the country’s daily oil and gas outputs should amount to five million barrels and 1.47 billion cubic meters by 2015. Qalebani announced in November that 20 contracts will be signed by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2012) to develop joint oilfields.