Azerbaijan, Baku, Mar. 2/ Trend F.Milad/
Iran has delayed developing the South Azadegan oilfield, which is the largest oilfield shared with Iraq, the managing director of the Iranian Petroleum Engineering and Development Company said.
The rise in the number of drilled wells, the increase in output capacity and the change in the master development plan are the reasons for the delay, Naji Sadouni told the Mehr news agency.
The first phase will start by March, the National Iranian Oil Company
(NIOC) managing director said on Jan. 3.
"Also, the project contractor has delayed starting the development operations, but the plan will kick off by the end of the current calendar year," NIOC head Ahmad Qalebani told Mehr.
Iran is by no means lagging Iraq in developing joint oilfields, the managing director of the National Iranian Central Oilfields Company said on February 5.
Mehdi Fakour added that eight drilling rigs are operating in joint oilfields with Iraq and the output is satisfactory, ISNA news agency reported.
Iran produces some 68,000 barrels per day of crude oil in four oilfields associated with Iraq (Naftshahr, Paydar Gharb, Dehloran and Aban), the report added.
Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said in August that the Iranian government should consider plans to develop joint oilfields in the border areas with Iraq.
The government should increase the budgets for the development of joint oilfields, Qasemi added. "The oil industry's infrastructure needs more than 500 trillion rials (about $50 billion) of investment to achieve Iran's 20-year economic perspective plan goals," Qasemi was quoted as saying."