TEHRAN (PIN) – The managing director of West Oil and Gas Exploitation Co. said Tang-e Bijar gas field was producing at full capacity as the cost of transferring gas from southern part of Iran to its western area was too high.

Mohsen Nuri told PIN that the exploitation unit of Tang-e Bijar started work and its production kicked off.
“Given the importance of gas supply in the cold season and completion of the project, we formed a special group and managed to put the unit into operation ahead of winter by running the wells and systems completely,” said the official, calling the field a big supplier for the western part of the country.
The gas supply standoff of the western provinces of the country would be for the first time settled and the area would be regarded as a gas supplier as the project became operational and Ilam Refinery was fed, boasted Nuri.
According to the plan, Tang-e Bijar would produce up to seven million cubic meters of gas per day in the first phase and the volume would soar to about 10 million cubic meters in the second phase, he added.
“Considering the unprecedented cold snap in the region and possible freeze and decrease of production, we have sent a special team comprising experienced experts to Tang-e Bijar exploitation unit in an attempt to keep conditions ideal and prevent any negative impact on gas output,” said the managing director.
The official termed as very important the role of manpower and use of most advanced control system in implementation of the project, saying studies showed that production of Tang-e Bijar could be boosted in the future.
Tangeh Bijar gas field is located 70km southwest of Ilam.
The National Iranian Central Oilfields Co. (NICOC) Managing Director Alireza Zeighami said the West Oil and Gas Exploitation Co. was producing over 150 thousand barrels of oil, adding the volume, due to tough conditions of derivation from border fields, was regarded as a record.
He added NICOC set a new gas output record, producing 300 million cubic meters of the commodity.
Zeighami elaborating on gas production in subsidiaries of NICOC said, “South Zagros Oil and Gas Exploitation Co. is currently deriving 245 million cubic meters of gas per day from the fields of Aghar, Dalan, Nar, Kangan, Qeshm, Sarkhun, Tabnak, Homa, Varavi, and Shanol, supplying the feedstock of Parsian, Farashid, and Fajr-e Jam refineries.”
He added Mozduran, Shurijeh B and D, and Gonbadli fields were producing 54.5 million cubic meters of gas a day and the fields of Bijar and Sarajeh were yielding two million cubic meters of the energy carrier daily to supply the feedstock of Shahid Hasheminejad Refinery of Mashhad, northeastern Iran.
The managing director vowed NICOC would produce 400 thousand barrels of oil, 400 million cubic meters of gas, and 110 to 130 thousand barrels of gas condensates per day in 2016.
He added, “The company lifts its daily output by 198 thousand barrels of oil, 135 million cubic meters of gas, and 40 thousand barrels of gas condensates.”
To this end, the company needed some seven billion dollars, said the official, adding, “In the first half of 20-Year Vision Plan, the number of gas and oil fields covered by the company will soar to 29 and 17 respectively while its oil and gas reserves will increase from 23 to 66 and provinces it renders services will rise to 12 from current nine.”
Within the period, the NICOC managing director said, 2,300 square kilometers would undergo three dimensional seismographic operations and 2,530 square kilometers two dimensional seismography.
In 2011, the company would produce 320 thousand barrels of oil, 335 million cubic meters of gas, and 100 thousand barrels of gas condensates a day, he predicted.
Zeighami said NICOC’s gas output accounted for 65 percent of the country’s total production, adding the company was currently producing 255 million cubic meters of gas on average and its output capacity reached 300 million cubic meters in cold seasons. The company had now the capacity to produce 145 thousand barrels of oil per day, said the managing director, vowing the figure would reach near 160 thousand barrels.
According to him, NICOC is now producing 75 thousand barrels of gas condensates daily.
According to its articles of association, the company was active in 14 provinces, said Zeighami, adding NICOC’s oil and gas operations bore fruit in 10 provinces.
The company is duty-bound to exploit 60 fields, said the managing director and added NICOC was currently exploiting 26 fields and the figure would soar to 32 by the end of Fourth Plan and to 83 fields by the end of 20-Year Vision Plan.