TEHRAN – The National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) has completed drilling of the first development well at the Yadavaran oilfield, part of a six-well project in the West Karoun oil region of Khuzestan province, the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana reported.

Abdolkarim Alimohammadi, NIDC’s deputy managing director for drilling projects, said the well was drilled using the Fath 92 rig and handed over to the Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC), the project’s operator, for production.

He noted that two rigs from NIDC’s fleet – Fath 92 and Fath 28 – have been deployed at the site, with the second development well nearing completion and expected to be finished within two weeks.

Alimohammadi said the Yadavaran oilfield is one of Iran’s joint fields and that the current development project, launched in May last year under an Engineering, Procurement and Drilling (EPD) contract, has now delivered its first well, number 43, to the operator.

He added that rig Fath 28 is drilling well number 42, while preparations are underway to move in a third rig to accelerate the project’s implementation.

The Yadavaran oilfield, shared with Iraq’s Sinbad field, is one of Iran’s largest onshore reserves, holding an estimated 17 billion barrels of oil in place. The field has been developed in phases, with production initially launched in partnership with China’s Sinopec before being continued under domestic contractors.

West Karoun, a cluster of joint oilfields along the Iran-Iraq border, including Yadavaran, Azadegan, and Yaran, is seen as a strategic hub for Iran’s oil industry. Officials have repeatedly described its development as key to boosting national output and compensating for natural declines at older fields.

Iran has prioritized investment in West Karoun, which holds tens of billions of barrels in recoverable reserves. The region’s output has grown significantly over the past decade, and energy authorities say accelerated drilling and the deployment of additional rigs are vital to unlock its full potential.

EF/MA