The National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) has drilled and completed 48 oil and gas wells across onshore and offshore regions during the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 20–July 21), marking a year-on-year increase of 17 wells.Hamidreza Shafiei Makvandi, deputy head of operations at NIDC, said the wells included 11 development and appraisal wells and 37 workover and completion wells, Shana reported.Of the total, 40 wells were drilled in the operational zone of the National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC), two in the Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC), two by the Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC), one by the Central Iranian Oil Fields Company (CIOFC), and three as part of drilling projects.Makvandi expressed appreciation for operational crews working under extreme heat and said total drilling depth during the period reached 41,573 meters. He added that 18 of the company's 64 active drilling rigs are currently being relocated to new operational sites.Iran, which holds some of the world’s largest proven oil and gas reserves, has been ramping up drilling activities to boost production capacity despite ongoing international sanctions. The increase in the number of drilled wells reflects the country's strategy to maintain energy output and offset natural declines in aging oil fields.National Iranian Drilling Company, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), is a key player in Iran's oil and gas industry, responsible for drilling operations.The company that conducts exploration, development, and drilling of oil and gas wells, as well as repair and maintenance services, and has been actively involved in both onshore and offshore drilling projects, is now ready to play a more prominent role in the region.The deputy managing director of the company has announced the implementation of a comprehensive program to modernize the drilling fleet, widely localize equipment, manufacture a national drilling engine, and set a goal of repairing and completing 150 wells by the end of this year, emphasizing: "Based on decades of experience, this company is ready to play a more prominent role at the regional level."Regarding the most important challenges of the NIDC due to sanctions, Masoud Afshar has stated: "Domestic production of many equipment has reduced dependence on foreign countries, but in the engine sector, we had challenges that are being resolved with the new contract. The production of SCR, cables, and tanks are other successful examples of self-sufficiency."“Our experts are currently involved in international projects, and the successful drilling experience in Turkmenistan will be a basis for expanding activities in other neighboring countries”, the official has underlined.Afshar has emphasized that with the development of technology, self-sufficiency in equipment, and the benefit of efficient human resources, the National Drilling Company is firmly on the path of sustainable development and is ready to play a more effective role in the regional arena.Meanwhile, the managing director of the company has explained the outlook for the development of the drilling industry in the country, and said: "The most important global indicator in the field of drilling is the reduction of unproductive times; so, we have reduced this indicator from 21 percent to about 9.6 percent and set a goal to reach below three percent."Mehran Makvandi said that in the five-year outlook, the modernization of the onshore and offshore drilling fleet, the development of offshore drilling in the Persian Gulf oil fields, and the upgrading of technical service equipment and their integration are priorities.Regarding digital developments in the company, he stated: "Digitalization of drilling processes, from design and monitoring to operation analysis and well data management, is one of the main axes of the company's future vision; this approach will lead to reduced errors, faster decision-making, economic savings, and greater safety."In addition to upgrading equipment, strengthening cooperation with scientific centers and knowledge-based companies, developing human resources, and increasing competitiveness in the international market are also among the company's strategic priorities in the 5-year outlook, the official added. (ICE TEHERAN)

Fonte notizia: Tehran Times