TEHRAN Oil production in Siri A oil field began on October 7 with a capacity of of 7,000 barrels per day, said Esmail Jaliliah, Production Manager of the Marine Areas of the National Iranian Oil Company. The Siri A oil field is 50 km southwest of Siri Island, Persian Gulf. The daily production of crude oil began from three oil wells at the depth of 3,980-4,750 meters, he said.

With digging eight more wells in the Siri A oil field, the total production of of the field will reach 24,000 barrels per day. The total production of oil from Siri A oil field will reach 50 million barrels during the next ten years. The Siri A oil field was explored under a buyback contract signed between Iran, France and Malaysia. The operations for digging six oil wells in Siri E oil field have been completed, he said.

Other three wells are being dug in this field which will produce 55,000 barrels of oil per day from January 1999. After the completion of digging operation of 30 oil wells in this field, the total oil production in this field will reach 100,000 barrels per day, he said.