Academia and NIOC Sign R&D Contracts

The National Iranian Oil Company has signed contracts with 13 top universities for oil and gas discovery.
The contracts were signed in the presence of Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, the oil minister, and Gholamhossein Rahimi, deputy for research at the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, in Tehran on Monday, the Oil Ministry news website reported.
Tehran University, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Tehran's Sharif University of Technology, Tehran-based Amirkabir University of Technology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province, the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Sahand University in Tabriz, Shiraz University, Oil Industry and the Petroleum University of Technology, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, University of Science and Industry in Tehran, Isfahan University of Technology and the Persian Gulf University in Bushehr Province will conduct R&D on several oil and gas blocks.
Reserves to be studied include Yadavaran, Rag Sefid, Masjed Soleyman and Maroun oilfields in Khuzestan Province, Esfand, Forouzan, Alvand and Nowruz oilfields off the Persian Gulf, Khesht Oilfield in Fars Province, Binak Oilfield in Bushehr Province, Doroud Oilfield in Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf and Tang Bijar Gas Field in western Ilam Province.
An estimated $68 million has been allocated for the 13 contracts to be carried out in 10 years. The NIOC had signed similar deals with five universities in 2018.
Iran has 145 known oil and gas fields, of which 26 are shared with neighbors including Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan.