MAPNA to Study 3 Khuzestan Oilfields

The National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) has signed its fifth memorandum of understanding with the MAPNA Group to study three oilfields in the southern Khuzestan Province. 

According to the MoU, MAPNA has six months to conduct studies on Karanj, Rag Sefid and Parsi oilfields with a total of eight reservoirs near Ahvaz.

The agreement was signed by Hamid Deris, the NISOC manager for technical affairs and Abbas Aliabadi, managing director of MAPNA, in Ahvaz on Wednesday, the Oil Ministry's official news service Shana reported.

NISOC is assigned to develop four oilfields in Khuzestan, namely Shadegan, Rag Sefid, Karanj and Parsi with a total of nine reservoirs, based on a special model of contracts developed by the company.

Rag Sefid field is located in Khuzestan Province. It was discovered in 1964 and its total reserves are estimated at around 16.5 billion barrels. 

Karan, 40 kilometers southeast of Ahvaz, was discovered in 1963. It holds an estimated 9.6 billion barrels of in-place oil. 

Parsi also is located approximately 130 kilometers northeast of the same oil city and holds more than 10 billion barrels of crude oil in place. 

Other foreign and domestic firms that have already signed MoUs with the NISOC to conduct surveys on the fields include Schlumberger Ltd, Pasargad Energy Co., Persia Oil and Gas Industry Development Co. and Tenco, a subsidiary of Khatam-al-Anbiya construction group affiliated to the Islamic Revolution's Guard Corps.

According to Bijan Alipour, the NISOC managing director, other energy groups can study the three oilfields and each field will be awarded based on procedures and criteria determined by the National Iranian Oil Company.

Regarding the benefits of drawing on the experience of foreign companies, Alipour noted that negotiations were held with 33 international firms to cooperate in joint ventures and several memoranda of understanding would be signed in the near future.

According to reports, NISOC has opened talks with BP Plc to enhance the rate of recovery from Shadegan, Rag Sefid, Karanj and Parsi fields.

MAPNA is involved in a range of projects including oil and gas field development, onshore and offshore drilling services, construction of downstream processing units, auxiliary facilities, utility, storage tanks, as well as design and manufacturing of equipment such as turbo-compressors for transmission pipelines, refineries and processing units.

Schlumberger, Pasargad Energy Co., Persia Oil and Gas Industry Development Co. and Tenco have signed agreements with NISOC.