BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 20. Excavations will commence shortly at the Mokhtar gas field in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces of southern Iran, Deputy Governor of Iran's Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Provinces, Ehsan Askari told local media, Trend reports.
According to him, the works related to the installation of drilling rigs are almost completed.
Askari noted that the dispatch of the drilling rig to the Mokhtar gas field is under the jurisdiction of Iran's Oil Ministry. In this regard, provincial officials met with representatives of the National Oil Company last week to discuss the dispatch of the drilling rig. Hirbood Niroo Company, which is currently the contractor of the field, is expected to take steps to deliver the rig.
Iran's Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Provinces hold 25 percent of the country's hydrocarbon reserves. In 1990, scientists discovered the Mokhtar gas field, 10 kilometers from the city of Yasuj in this province. The field boasts a natural gas content exceeding 20 billion cubic meters. Various factors have prevented the drilling of wells for gas production from the mentioned field thus far.
To note, a total of 74 oil fields and 22 gas fields are currently operating in Iran. There are 37 oil fields in the territory of the National Company of Iran's Southern Oil Zones, 14 in the territory of the Iranian Central Oil Zones Company, 5 in the territory of the Arvandan Oil and Gas Production Company, and 18 in the territory of the Offshore Oil Company. Additionally, the South Oil Zones National Company of Iran operates 5 gas fields, the Central Oil Zones Company operates 13, the Pars Oil and Gas Company operates 1, and the Offshore Oil Company operates 3.
Iran's total hydrocarbon reserves are 1.2 trillion barrels. Iran can produce 340 billion barrels of this gas with existing technological equipment. Iran can use about 30 percent, while 70 percent remains unused underground.