Oil reserves in Iran

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Iran's Oil and Gas Fields and Infrastructures Iran Oil and Gas Fields.png
Iran's Oil and Gas Fields and Infrastructures
Proved oil reserves in Iran Iran Proved Oil Reserves.png
Proved oil reserves 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. [1] 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.

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According to NIOC, Iran recoverable liquid hydrocarbon reserves at the end of 2006 was 138.4 billion barrels. [2] 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. [2]

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. [3]

Iranian production peaked at 6 million barrels per day (950×10^3 m3/d) in 1974, [4] 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. [4] Iran's mature oil fields are in need of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques such as gas injection to maintain production, [4] which is declining at an annual rate of approximately 8% onshore and 10% offshore. [4] With current technology it is only possible to extract 20% to 25% of the oil in place [4] from Iran's fractured carbonate reservoirs, 10% less than the world average. [4] It is estimated that 400,000-700,001 bbl/d of crude production is lost annually due to declines in the mature oil fields. [4]

Largest oil fields

The five biggest Iran's oil fields; [5]

RankField NameFormationInitial Oil in Place
(Billion Barrels)		Initial Recoverable Reserves
(Billion Barrels)		Production
Thousand barrels per day
1 Ahvaz Field Asmari & Bangestan65.525.5945
2 Marun Field Asmari46.721.9520
3 Aghajari Field Asmari & Bangestan30.217.4200
4 Gachsaran Field Asmari & Bangestan52.916.2560
5 Karanj Oil Field Asmari & Bangestan11.25.7200
Largest Iranian Oil Fields
Field's NameThousand
barrels per day		Thousand
cubic meters per day
(onshore)
Ahvaz Field (Asmari Formation)700110
Gachsaran Field 56089
Marun Field 52083
Bangestan24539.0
Aghajari Field 20032
Karanj-Parsi Oil Field20032
Rag Safid Oil Field 18029
Bibi Hakimeh Oil Field 13021
Darquin Oil Field10016
Paazanan Oil Field7011
(offshore)
Dorood Oil Field13021
Salman Field13021
Abuzar Oil Field12519.9
Sirri Oil Field9515.1
Soroush Gas Field609.5

Additions to reserves

A map of world oil reserves according to U.S. EIA, 2017 Map-of-countries-by-proven-oil-reserves-(in-millions-of-barrels)---2017---US-EIA---Jo-Di-graphics.jpg
A map of world oil reserves 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: [5]

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. [6] According to Exploration Directorate of NIOC, there are about 150 unexplored anticlines in Iran. [7]

Since 1995, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has made significant oil and gas discoveries, standing for some 84-billion-barrels (1.34×1010 m3) of oil in place and at least 191×10^12 cu ft (5,400 km3) of gas in place, which are listed below. [8]

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. [3]

NIOC Oil Discoveries Since 1995. [9]
Field's NameOil In PlaceRecoverable OilDiscovery Year
Billion BarrelBillion Barrel
Azadegan 33.25.2
Yadavaran (Kushk+Hosseinieh)173
Ramin [10] 7.3981.112007
South Pars Oil Layer6NA
Band-E-Karkeh [11] [12] 4.5NA2007
Mansour Abad4.45NA2007
Changoleh [13] 2.7NA
Azar [14] [13] 2.07NA2007
Paranj1.6NA2007
Andimeshk (Balaroud) [15] 1.10.2332007
Binalood [16] 0.7760.0992008
Mansouri-Khami layer [14] 0.760NA
Jofeyr-Fahliyan layer [17] [18] 0.750NA2008
Asaluyeh [19] 0.525NA2008
Arvand [20] 0.500NA2008
Sumar [21] 0.4750.0702010
Tusan0.470NA2006
Arash0.168NA
Total84.442NA

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 "OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2006" (PDF). OPEC. 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  3. 1 2 Persia Land of Black Gold, Retrieved 2012-4-14.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Iran Oil" (PDF). Country Analysis Briefs. US Energy Information Administration. 2007.
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  6. ↑ Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of Lower Silurian Qusaiba-Paleozoic Total Petroleum Systems
  7. ↑ Farsnews.ir 17 Apr 2008
  8. ↑ Iran Oil Ministry Annual Bulletin, 5th Edition, pages 190-193 (available in persian)(كتاب نفت و توسعه). "کتاب نفت و توسعه". Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 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 "وزارت نيرو _ معاونت برق و انرژی". Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
  9. ↑ Iran Oil Ministry Annual Bulletin, 5th Edition, pages 190-193 (available in persian)(كتاب نفت و توسعه). "کتاب نفت و توسعه". Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009. and Iran Energy Balance Sheet (ترازنامه انرژی ایران ) (available in Persian), Page 132, Published by; Iran's Energy Ministry, Secretariat of Energy and Electricity,2006 "وزارت نيرو _ معاونت برق و انرژی". Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
  10. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir),April 23, 2005, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir),25/4/2009, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir),25/4/2009 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. 1 2 NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Sahan.ir),October 15, 2007, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. 1 2 NIOC Official Web Site,(www.NIOC.ir), "Oil and gas reserves - Exploration". Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved April 11, 2008.
  15. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir), "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir), "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir), "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir),July 02, 2008, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir), "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir), "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ↑ NIOC Official News Agency,(www.Shana.ir), Archived 2012-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
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