The National Iranian Drilling Company has drilled 158 onshore and offshore oil and gas wells across Iran in the past 20 months.
The length of the drilling operations reached 132,000 meters in the period, ISNA reported.
According to the latest statistics, 20 months ago, there were 56 active rigs in the drilling fleet; the figure has increased to 63 rigs now, indicating a 12.5% rise.
The NIDC’s operations witnessed a 65% rise in 2022 compared to a year ago. The company drilled 8,000 meters of oil and gas wells nationwide in 2021, yet it increased to 13,000 meters in 2022, up 63%.
NIDC drilled and repaired 28 onshore and offshore oil and gas wells in 2021. Nonetheless, the figure increased to 38 in 2022.
A subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, the NIDC undertakes both offshore and onshore drilling and provides almost the entire drilling services needed by domestic oil and gas companies.
NIDC has taken effective steps to secure a foothold in foreign markets. The company can cooperate with Caspian Sea littoral states, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, in drilling ventures as it has the technology to carry out drilling in deep waters and has a regional record for drilling operations at a depth of over 1,000 meters. The firm has emerged as one of the largest drilling companies in Southwest Asia.
Seismic and geophysical operations in joint oil and gas fields in border regions have gained impetus and NIOC’s next priority is gathering geophysical data to discover new reserves in the Persian Gulf.
Close to $100 million were spent on two- and three-dimensional seismic surveys last year, covering 20,000 kilometers in 11 provinces, up fourfold compared to a year ago.
The company needs $1.4 billion to expand its activities and conduct 2D and 3D seismic surveys on 100,000 kilometers of surface areas over the next seven years.
A 2D seismic survey is an exploration method used to create a map of the structures beneath Earth’s surface. The method sends energy waves into the Earth. The different rock formations then reflect the waves back to the surface, where they are recorded over a period of time and converted into a seismic image.
Local engineers have indigenized seismic survey knowhow and talks are underway with neighbors, including Iraq, Oman, Tajikistan and Russia, to transfer expertise and carry out seismic surveys.
