A contract for the provision of Integrated Production Services (IPS) was signed between Oil Exploration Operations Company and Dasht-e Azadegan Arvand Oil and Gas Development Engineering Company. This event marks the beginning of a new stage of synergy in the field of secure production and increasing the oil recovery factor at the Azadeghan field.
According to IRNA, the development of the Azadeghan field, which is a priority for the 14th government in the energy sector and aligns with plans for the revival, development, and exploitation of the country's common oil and gas fields, has reached the implementation stage after many years of waiting and thanks to the personal oversight of the president.
This field, which is the tenth largest in the world with reserves of 33 billion barrels of oil, has become one of Iran's key fronts in the economic struggle alongside Iraq. This is because international companies such as Chevron from America are extracting from this field abroad, making the acceleration of extraction by Iran a strategic necessity in the oil and gas industry.
Azadeghan, also considered the world's largest onshore common field, is in the spotlight following the president's emphasis last year on increasing oil production. Consequently, a meeting was held on Sunday to launch executive projects for this field, including 55 wells. Representatives from Dasht-e Azadegan Arvand Company, Oil Exploration Operations Company, and Oil Engineering and Construction Company (OIEC) were present to ensure the rapid implementation of field development operations, provided there is funding and a clear schedule.
Abbas Sarkari, CEO of Oil Exploration Operations Company, emphasized the readiness for comprehensive participation in the development of the Azadeghan field during the ceremony. He announced the signing of the IPS contract with Dasht-e Azadegan Arvand Company and noted that the Azadeghan field is not only a national asset but also a symbol of the resilience and authority of the country's oil and gas industry under current conditions. The signing of the IPS contract between Oil Exploration Operations Company and Dasht-e Azadegan Arvand Company, according to him, opens a new chapter of synergy for realizing secure production and increasing the recovery factor from this common reservoir.
Sarkari added that Oil Exploration Operations Company, utilizing specialized Iranian personnel and modern equipment, including eight 2000 horsepower drilling rigs and 13 technical service units, is fully prepared to accelerate the field development process as the executive body of employers, going beyond commercial profit.
He noted that the agenda includes the rapid and precise execution of a high-productivity project in the Azadeghan project, and the company is ready to conduct well advancement operations within 10 packages of IPS and MOS contracts. He also reported that the company has four drilling rigs available to assist future oil and gas industry projects, and the projected completion time for the work assigned to this company at the Azadeghan field is 14 months.
Mohammad Ali Shafiei, CEO of Oil Industries Engineering and Construction Group (OIEC), also stressed the need for full cooperation across the entire oil industry chain to accelerate the implementation of this national megaproject. He stated that the development of Azadeghan with such an investment volume belongs to the largest projects both in the country and in the world, and his company is ready to provide all its engineering and operational potential to support this strategic project.
Shafiei mentioned seismographic and engineering studies, drilling sites, and well maintenance as opportunities for the group to comprehensively support the Azadeghan development plan. He added that the modernization and development program for the fleet of drilling rigs and auxiliary technical services is under active development, leading Oil Exploration Operations Company to sign a contract for two 3000 horsepower drilling rigs, and preparations for adding two more rigs have also been made.
He also reported that the group's operational plans include the supply and development of 1500 and 2000 horsepower rigs.
Esmail Golampour, executor of the Azadeghan field development plan at Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC), also emphasized the importance of full compliance of all well-related activities with the permits and the comprehensive plan of the National Iranian Oil Company, as well as adherence to the highest standards of health, safety, and environmental protection (HSE) in the work area. He stated that the Azadeghan field is currently in the production cycle, and a significant portion of the country's crude oil is extracted in this area, so the sensitivity of operations in the southern part is doubled, and any intervention or action plan at the well level must be carried out with extreme precision, speed, and without the slightest disruption to the continuous production process.
Golampour noted that all development programs, artificial lift, and well operations must be carried out in accordance with the approved plan and official permits of the National Iranian Oil Company, and no actions outside this roadmap and established framework will be permitted to maintain the highest level of coordination between higher authorities and the client.
The executor of the Azadeghan field development plan at Petroleum Engineering and Development Company also stressed full compliance with HSE requirements, noting that failure to adhere to safety and environmental standards in such sensitive fields can have irreparable and far-reaching consequences for the entire project and the executing team. Therefore, it is expected that partner companies and the project client will apply the highest level of supervision and special protective and safety measures.
Mahmoud Aminnejad, CEO of Dasht-e Azadegan Arvand Oil and Gas Development Company, reported that the implementation of this strategic project began after three years of uncertainty, and also announced the agreement of the National Development Fund to provide financing of $2 billion. He added that the package of work for drilling and repairing 16 new wells will soon be sent to Oil Exploration Operations Company.
Aminnejad recalled that Dasht-e Azadegan Arvand Company was formed by a consortium including Bank Melli, Bank Tejarat, Bank Mellat, Parsian Bank, Shahr Bank, the National Development Fund, as well as the companies Petropars and Ahdaf. He noted that due to administrative difficulties and delays in document approval, the consortium was on the verge of collapse and capital withdrawal by banks, but thanks to the direct intervention of the president and holding strategic meetings in the presence of the Minister of Oil and senior economic managers, the contract was finally ratified and official permission to operate was granted.
Aminnejad called Azadeghan a strategic common field and warned that if the work is not completed quickly within the next two years, the fate of large missed opportunities experienced in South Pars in competition with others will repeat itself. Therefore, mutual trust between the client and the contractor, reduction of excessive administrative procedures, and focus on accurate execution of plans in the shortest possible time are on the agenda.
He also stated that thanks to the measures taken and the cooperation of government economic bodies, there are no obstacles to ensuring the financial flow for this project, and they expect contractors to be present at the field with maximum operational capacity.
The CEO of Dasht-e Azadegan Arvand Company also announced the appointment of a new work package for the project execution chain, specifying that in addition to IPS contracts, a new operational package including 16 wells will be officially notified to Oil Exploration Operations Company to further accelerate daily extraction from the reservoir.
Emphasizing that the development of the oil and gas industry should be felt by local residents of the region, he stated that significant funds have been allocated for developing employment infrastructure for local youth, as well as for improving medical, educational, and social facilities in the Azadeghan region, so that the progress of the field goes hand in hand with the improvement of the lives of the local population.