Oil reserves in Iran
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File:Iran Oil and Gas Fields.png
File:Iran Proved Oil Reserves.png
{{Main|Petroleum industry in Iran}}
Proven oil reserves in Iran, according to its government, rank fourth largest in the world at approximately as of 2013, although it ranks third if Canadian reserves of unconventional oil are excluded.{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2178rank.html |title=CIA – the World Factbook -- Rank Order – Oil – proved reserves |access-date=March 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613005503/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2178rank.html |archive-date=June 13, 2007 }} This is roughly 10% of the world's total proven petroleum reserves. At 2020 rates of production, Iran's oil reserves would last 145 years if no new oil was found.
According to NIOC, Iran recoverable liquid hydrocarbon reserves at the end of 2006 was 138.4 billion barrels.{{cite web|url= https://www.opec.org/opec_web/static_files_project/media/downloads/publications/ASB06.pdf |title=OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2006 |publisher=OPEC |date=2007-09-13 |access-date=2021-01-11}} Apart from these considerable reserves, from the outset of oil industry in Iran in 1908 to the end of 2007, Iran produced some 61 billion barrels of oil.
Iran has more than a century of history in exploration and production; the first successful exploration well was Masjid Suleiman-1 on May 26, 1908. Since then, based on the latest oil and gas reports, 145 hydrocarbon fields and 297 oil and gas reservoirs have been discovered in Iran, with many fields having multiple pay zones. A total of 102 fields are oil and the remaining 43 are gas, and there are 205 oil reservoirs and 92 natural gas reservoirs. According to Iran Energy Balance Sheet (2009, in Persian), 78 of these fields are currently active, with 62 onshore and 16 offshore, leaving 67 fields inactive at present. Some 23 hydrocarbon fields lie in border areas and are shared between Iran and adjacent countries, including Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan.[http://www.geoexpro.com/article/Persia_Land_of_Black_Gold/e7e95f74.aspx Persia Land of Black Gold], Retrieved 2012-4-14.
Iranian production peaked at {{convert|6|Moilbbl/d}} in 1974,{{cite web|url= http://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis_includes/countries_long/Iran/iran.pdf |title=Iran Oil |work=Country Analysis Briefs |publisher=US Energy Information Administration |year=2007}} but it has been unable to produce at that rate since the 1979 Iranian revolution due to a combination of political unrest, war with Iraq, limited investment, US sanctions, and a high rate of natural decline. Iran's mature oil fields are in need of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques such as gas injection to maintain production, which is declining at an annual rate of approximately 8% onshore and 10% offshore. With current technology it is only possible to extract 20% to 25% of the oil in place from Iran's fractured carbonate reservoirs, 10% less than the world average. It is estimated that 400,000-700,001 bbl/d of crude production is lost annually due to declines in the mature oil fields.
Largest oil fields
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" | |||||
| Rank || Field Name || Formation || Initial Oil in Place (Billion Barrels)|| Initial Recoverable Reserves (Billion Barrels)|| Production Thousand barrels per day | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahvaz Field | Asmari & Bangestan | 65.5 | 25.5 | 945 |
| 2 | Marun Field | Asmari | 46.7 | 21.9 | 520 |
| 3 | Aghajari Field | Asmari & Bangestan | 30.2 | 17.4 | 200 |
| 4 | Gachsaran Field | Asmari & Bangestan | 52.9 | 16.2 | 560 |
| 5 | Karanj Oil Field | Asmari & Bangestan | 11.2 | 5.7 | 200 |
| class="wikitable"
|+Largest Iranian Oil Fields !Field's Name !Thousand !Thousand |
| colspan=3|(onshore) |
|---|
| Ahvaz Field (Asmari Formation)
|{{convert|700|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Gachsaran Field
|{{convert|560|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Marun Field
|{{convert|520|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Bangestan
|{{convert|245|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Aghajari Field
|{{convert|200|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Karanj-Parsi Oil Field
|{{convert|200|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Rag Safid Oil Field
|{{convert|180|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Bibi Hakimeh Oil Field
|{{convert|130|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Darquin Oil Field
|{{convert|100|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Paazanan Oil Field
|{{convert|70|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| colspan=3|(offshore) |
| Dorood Oil Field
|{{convert|130|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Salman Field
|{{convert|130|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Abuzar Oil Field
|{{convert|125|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Sirri Oil Field
|{{convert|95|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
| Soroush Gas Field
|{{convert|60|oilbbl|disp=table}} |
Additions to reserves
File:Map-of-countries-by-proven-oil-reserves-(in-millions-of-barrels)---2017---US-EIA---Jo-Di-graphics.jpg according to U.S. EIA, 2017]]
Iran oil reserves at the beginning of 2001 were reported to be about 99 billion barrels; however in 2002 the result of NIOC's study showed huge reserves upgrade adding about 31.7 billion barrels of recoverable reserves to the Iranian oil reserves.
The 2002 NIOC reserve revision came from the following sources:
- Revision of oil-in-place volume which added 14,3 billion barrels of oil to Iran's Oil in place reserves.
- Revision of the field's recovery factors which increased average recovery factor of the revised oil fields from 29% to 36%.
- South Pars gas field liquefied petroleum gas reserves (C3 and C4) about 3,2 billion recoverable barrels.
- New discoveries about 700 million recoverable barrels.
In addition to the large reserves, Iran still has huge potential for new significant gas discoveries: areas like Caspian Sea, North East, Central Kavir and especially areas starting from Aghar and Dalan gas fields in Fars province up to the Strait of Hormuz and Central Persian Gulf have considerable amount of undiscovered gas resources.Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of Lower Silurian Qusaiba-Paleozoic Total Petroleum Systems [http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-0008-02/fs-0008-02.pdf] According to Exploration Directorate of NIOC, there are about 150 unexplored anticlines in Iran.[http://www.farsnews.ir/newstext.php?nn=8701290287 Farsnews.ir 17 Apr 2008]
Since 1995, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has made significant oil and gas discoveries, standing for some {{convert|84|Goilbbl|m3|adj=on}} of oil in place and at least {{convert|191|Tcuft|km3|abbr=on}} of gas in place, which are listed below.Iran Oil Ministry Annual Bulletin, 5th Edition, pages 190-193 (available in persian)(كتاب نفت و توسعه).{{cite web |url=http://www.nioc.ir/newnioc/(S(ycxlgcuiawhnap55g4ket3bf))/publication/naft/naft.aspx |title=کتاب نفت و توسعه |access-date=January 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318235750/http://www.nioc.ir/newnioc/(S(mytmre553e4xnl45kfvoeorc))/publication/naft/naft.aspx |archive-date=March 18, 2009 }} and Iran Energy Balance Sheet (ترازنامه انرژی ایران ) (available in Persian), Pages 132 & 175, Published by; Iran's Energy Ministry, Secretariat of Energy and Electricity,2006 {{cite web |url=http://www.iranenergy.org.ir/statistic%20info/energy%20balance/energy%20balance.htm |title=وزارت نيرو _ معاونت برق و انرژی |access-date=January 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227114502/http://iranenergy.org.ir/statistic%20info/energy%20balance/energy%20balance.htm |archive-date=December 27, 2008 }}
In the Zagros and Persian Gulf Basins the highly porous Cretaceous and Tertiary carbonate rocks make very important oil reservoirs, while Permo-Triassic carbonates, particularly the Dalan and Kangan formations, are the main gas and condensate reservoirs. It is reported that 38 gas/condensate pools have been discovered in the Dalan and Kangan formations in these basins alone. The mid-Cretaceous Sarvak formation is significant for the volume of recoverable oil it holds, while the Oligo-Miocene Asmari formation is the best current producer.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.academia.edu/2237334/The_Asmari_Giant_Reservoirs The Asmari Giant Reservoirs]
- [https://www.academia.edu/2237211/Persia_Land_of_Black_Gold Persia Land of Black Gold]
- [http://english.khamenei.ir/news/2165/Britain-s-Major-Plunder-of-Iranian-Oil-in-1903 Britain's Major Plunder of Iranian Oil in 1903]
External links
- [http://www.payvand.com/news/08/oct/1171.html Methodology in estimating the size of oil and gas fields]
{{Energy in Iran}}
{{Oil reserves country articles}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oil Reserves in Iran}}