NIOC Expects Mansouri Deal by Early March

Plans are underway to finalize a contract to develop Mansouri Oilfield, a reservoir of 3.3 billion barrels of crude south of Iran, by early March, the chief executive officer of National Iranian Oil Company said.

"Two [foreign] companies have been shortlisted to develop Mansouri Oilfield, one of which will be awarded the contract," Ali Kardor was also quoted as saying by ICANA without providing details.

He added that a local company will also join Mansouri Oilfield's development project in a scheme similar to that of South Pars Phase 11 deal, where French energy giant Total sees Petropars as its local partner. Located 50 kilometers southeast of Ahvaz in the oil-rich Khuzestan Province, Mansouri became operational in the 1970s and plans call for lifting the field's output from the present 60,000 barrels per day.

Lukoil, Indonesia's Pertamina, Tenco, a subsidiary of Khatam-al -Anbiya construction group, and engineering conglomerate MAPNA Group have signed agreements to survey Mansouri Oilfield.  According to reports, one development proposal for Mansouri has envisaged a fivefold rise by producing 300,000 barrels a day.

Kardor also expected a deal for Changuleh Oilfield by the end of the present fiscal year on March 21, adding that three companies are in the race for the oilfield venture in the western Ilam Province. Changuleh was discovered in 1999 as a result of explorations conducted by a consortium comprising Russia’s Lukoil and Norway’s Statoil. The field's development is estimated to require an investment of $2.2 billion.

Gholamreza Manouchehri, NIOC's deputy for engineering and development, said last week NIOC has received 45 of the 100 development proposals it expects to receive for various oil and gas projects.

  Dehloran Oilfield

NIOC is drawing closer to a decision on how to develop Dehloran Oilfield in western Iran, with Germany's largest oil and gas producer Wintershall seen as a top candidate for the job, Shana reported on Sunday. The state oil company is assessing Wintershall’s proposal for the Dehloran project in Ilam that entails major remedial treatment of aging oil wells, drilling new wells and building new desalination units and a residential camp for workers. Russia's Tatneft had signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2016 to study Dehloran.

Wintershall, which is part of the giant chemical and energy conglomerate BASF Group, has explored opportunities to develop Iran's hydrocarbons following a memorandum of understanding signed in April 2016. According to the MoU, Wintershall was assigned to study four other crude oil reservoirs in western Iran. The company has also voiced interest in holding oil- and gas-related training courses in Iran and expanding collaboration in research and development projects.

Wintershall has studied Sohrab Oilfield near the Iran-Iraq border and is awaiting a decision by NIOC for the onshore oilfield. The field is located some 115 kilometers northwest of the city of Ahvaz in Hoor al-Azim Wetland.

Tehran has intensified efforts to involve foreign oil and gas majors in its key petroleum industry after years of financial and trade curbs that deprived its economic and energy projects funds and technology. The Oil Ministry says major upstream projects will be developed jointly by Iranian and international companies, while smaller fields will be awarded to domestic companies.