Iran adds new capacity at its South Yaran field

Iran's state-owned Pedec has raised production capacity at the South Yaran oil field by 5,000 b/d to 25,000 b/d with the installation of a new mobile oil separation unit.

Yaran ̶ which is divided into a north and south segment ̶ is one of several fields that make up the West Karun cluster in Iran's western Khuzestan province that straddles the Iran-Iraq border. The cluster has long been part of Iran's plans to boost its domestic crude oil production capacity to beyond the current 3.85mn b/d.

The Yaran field's development has been planned in two phases. As of June, crude oil production from phase one totalled around 50,000 b/d, with North Yaran accounting for 30,000 b/d. Production at South Yaran stood at 20,000 b/d, up from 15,000 b/d earlier in the year.

South Yaran production currently comes from 12 wells and Pedec, which is the upstream development arm of state-owned NIOC, plans to drill another six at the field. Pedec has not provided a timeline for the drilling campaign.

NIOC awarded a $463mn contract to local firm Persia Oil and Gas Industry Development (POGIDC) in July, to carry out the phase two development of the entire field ̶ north and south ̶ which it says contains approximately 550mn bl of oil in place.

POGIDC committed to raise the field's output by 39.5mn bls over a ten-year period, which amounts to just shy of 11,000 b/d.

By Adal Mirza