Iran has started trial production of oil in Yadavaran Oilfield, West Karun, to ensure the field will have sustainable production, the field’s director said.
“The joint oilfield is currently in the trial production phase that lasts 21-28 days … All three production lines are operational and the field’s first phase will go on stream in the near future for producing 85,000 barrels per day,” Hadi Nazarpour was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Following the completion of installations, an oilfield’s trial phase commences, during which the field must have 21 days of oil production out of 28, without any interruption.
Nazarpour also referred to the oil quality of Yadavaran, saying the field’s light crude has an API of 40 degrees, while its heavy oil’s API stands at 22.
The American Petroleum Institute gravity, aka API, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water.
Yadavaran's crude comprises 70,000 bpd of light oil and some 15,000 barrels of heavy oil.
Based on an Oil Ministry’s report, Yadavaran Oilfield’s development plan includes three phases. The field is projected to produce 180,000 bpd and 300,000 bpd in the second and third phases respectively.
The field’s early production commenced four years ago, during which it produced 50 million barrels of oil. Of the total extracted crude, 40 million were produced in the past 12 months, indicating the fact that the field’s development gained momentum.
Abdolreza Haji-Hossein-Nejad, managing director of Petroleum Engineering and Development Company, told Shana in late January that Yadavaran Oilfield is ready to be officially inaugurated in less than two months.
The official noted that about $2.9 billion in investment were spent on Yadavaran, adding that the in-place oil reserve of the joint field is estimated to be 31 billion barrels.
West Karun, located in southwest Iran, includes Yaran and Mansouri fields as well as Yadavaran, North and South Azadegan joint fields with Iraq.
Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh recently said development projects in shared oil and gas fields top the National Iranian Oil Company's list of priorities.
