TEHRAN – National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has signed a contract with Research Institute for Petroleum Industry (RIPI) for the implementation of 56 research projects in upstream and downstream oil industry.

Deputy director of research and development at the National Iranian Oil Company told Petroenergy Information Network that 29 upstream and 27 downstream research projects will be carried out by the Research Institute for Petroleum Industry over two years and the results of those projects will be used by the National Iranian Oil Company and affiliated companies.

Mohammad Tabibi added that diagnosis factors affecting fluid control at Asmari reservoir in one of the Iranian oil fields, development of computerized model for determining reservoir energies, design and selection of the best drilling fluid for shale layers of Asmari and Bangestan reservoirs conforming to environmental principles including upstream research projects are among studies covered by the said contract.

The official stated that Schlumberger and Hydro Quest companies as well as research and development department of the National Iranian Oil Company have formed a consortium for optimal production of domestic reservoirs. The consortium aims at finding optimal production methods and defining related projects as well as seeing into production problems faced by subsidiary companies of the National Iranian Oil Company.

Tabibi stated that, at present, four out of 18 strategic projects defined by the National Iranian South Oil Company are underway, adding, “At the moment, the first phase of information gathering operations have been finished for two projects and information is being gathered for two more projects.”