Oil

Iran holds 90 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, roughly 9% of the world's total, making it the country with the fifth largest oil reserves. Most of these are concentrated in the south-western region of Khuzestan, near the Iraqi border and the Persian Gulf. Also important are the reserves in the Persian Gulf, especially round the Straits of Hormuz. Greater uncertainty surrounds Iran's stake in the Caspian Sea: until the littoral states can agree on how to divide the spoils, no realistic estimate can be made of Iran's holdings. But whatever the eventual agreement reached, the Sea will act as an important transit for oil and gas exports. Iran aims to double its oil production from 3.8 billion bpd in 2001 to around 8 million bpd by about 2025, and is counting on foreign investment to accomplish this.

Name	Description	Reserves	Current output	Companies involved	Dates
Ahwaz-Bangestan	Onshore. Includes Anwaz, Mansuri and Ab-Teymour. Located in Khuzestan (SW region)		250,000 bpd currently, with plans to increase to 600,000 bpd over the next 8 years	TotalFinaElf, Shell, Eni and BP are bidding
Marun	Onshore, located in Khuzestan			Saipem: 6 rich gas compression plants
Gachsaran	Onshore, located in Khuzestan
Agha Jari	Onshore, located in Khuzestan
Bibi Hakimeh	Onshore, located in SW Khuzestan
Bahregan	Offshore, Persian Gulf
Gurreh ? Taheri				Saipem (Eni)
Darquain (Darkhoein)	Onshore, Awhaz region		50,000 bpd, peaking at 160,000 bpd	Eni (60%), NICO (subsid. of National Iranian Oil Co., or NIOC), 40%; NIOC to be operator in production phase. 8 wells, gas injection, oil processing plants.	2001
Hengam	Offshore, Sea of Oman	800 bn cf of gas + over 400 million barrels of crude oil		NIOC, Oman	Started 2002
Azadegan	Onshore, located in Khuzestan	24 billion barrels	Potentially 300,000-400,000 bpd	Japex and Indonesia Petroleum, both majority-owned by the Japan National Oil Company (JNOC)	Discovered 1999
Darkhovin	Onshore		Expected to reach 160,000 bpd
Dasht-e Abadan	Offshore, nr Abadan	24 billion barrels
Sirri A	Offshore		20,000 bpd	Total, Petronas (one of first buy-back contracts)	1998
Sirri E	Offshore		Expected to reach 120,000 bpd	Total, Petronas	1999
Doroud	Oil & gas, offshore Kharg Island, Persian Gulf		Currently 136,000 bpd; expected to reach 220,000 bpd	TotalFinaElf (55%); Eni (45%)	2002
Balal	Offshore, Persian Gulf	105m barrels	Expected to reach 40,000 bpd	Bow Valley Energy (15%), TotalFinaElf (46.75%), Eni-Agip (38.25%)	Discovered 1970; contract signed 2001
Strait of Hormuz	exploration			Statoil/NIOC
Salman	Offshore, Persian Gulf		130,000 bpd	Statoil/NIOC
Forouzan, Esfandiar	Offshore, Persian Gulf		40,000 bpd, expected to rise to 109,000	PetroIran, with BHP Billiton	2002
Cheshmeh-Khosh			30,000 bpd, to rise to 80,000	Cepsa; expected to be rewarded to Cepsa and OMV
Masjed-I-Suleyman, (MIS), SW Iran	Iran?s first oilfield, discovered 100 years ago		4500bpd, expected to increase to 20,000 in 3 yrs	Sheer Energy (2002), joint venture with Naftgaran Engineering Services Co., a unit of NIOC	2002
Marun, Karanj, Parsi	Onshore; enhanced oil recovery (EOR), using natural gas injection			NIOC
Gachsaran	Onshore; EOR	53 billion barrels		NIOC
Soroush and Nowrooz	Offshore	1 billion barrels	Expected to reach 255,000 bpd	Shell (14 Nov 1999)
Henjam A (known as West Bukha by Oman; the two countries are discussing possible joint development)				NIOC
Lavan A	Offshore, Persian Gulf			NIOC
And two structures near the South Pars natural gas field				NIOC
Esfandir				NIOC
Caspian Sea	Oil rig off Mazandaran province; Iran has announced its intention to explore within the 20% of the waters it claims as its territory.			NIOC; suppliers: GVA Consultants, Sadra	Contract signed 2001
S. Caspian	derricks
Abuzar	Offshore, Persian gulf
Kharg	Offshore, Persian Gulf
Siri	Offshore, Persian Gulf

Iranian projects: Oil