Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 25 / Trend F.Milad/
Iran is planning to sign a deal for developing the second heavy crude oilfield, Ferdowsi, after signing a previous one related to the Zagheh oilfield with Russia's Tatneft on December 18, 2011, the Jahan-e Sanat Persian language daily reported.
Preliminary talks are underway with the Iranian Petropars Company and an initial MOU has also been signed.
"The Ferdowsi heavy crude oilfield in the Persian Gulf can produce 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) of heavy crude in the first phase and 300,000 bpd after the next phases are completed," Bahman Samimi Sadeh, official for the development of heavy oilfields at Iran's Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDC) said, Press TV reported.
He went on to say that the oilfield consists of four heavy oil layers and its reserves are estimated to be at 30-35 billion barrels, which put it among the largest heavy oilfield in the country.
The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Russia's Tatneft signed a deal, worth $700 million to develop the Zagheh heavy crude oilfield in southwest Iran which has been dormant for several years.
That deal is aimed to produce 7000 barrels per day (bpd) heavy crude from the oilfield in the first phase and boost it to 55,000 bpd in the following phases.
Eighteen heavy and extra heavy crude oilfields have so far been explored in Iran. The new Ferdowsi oilfield as the largest extra heavy crude oilfield in the Middle East, will become operational by the end of the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2015), the NIOC director for planning affairs Abdolmohammad Delparish announced in September.
Delparish added that development of onshore heavy crude oilfields such as Kooh-e Mond and Zagheh were also on agenda.
Currently, Iran's in-place oil reserves are estimated at 560 billion barrels, of which 140 billion barrels are recoverable, including 70 billion barrels of heavy and extra heavy crudes.
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