Iran Self-Sufficient in Repairing Offshore Drilling Rigs

The Managing Director of the Sina Energy Development Company said that Iran is self-sufficient in repairing its offshore drilling rigs.

According to Majid Oji, there are 300-foot drilling rigs in the oil and gas fields in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, run by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC). "The rigs were previously sent to foreign countries for being repaired but Mostazafan Foundation has made it possible to repair the rigs domestically," he said, "The issue saves US$5-US$6 million for Iran."

"By the help of the Iranian knowledge-based companies, Mostazafan Foundation has now the offshore drilling rigs constructed and repaired," Oji added.

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, all operations in Iran's oil and gas rigs are ongoing in full compliance with safety and healthcare standards and complying with personal and public health and hygiene principles in the workplace.

NIDC, a subsidiary of the NIOC, undertakes most drilling operations across the country and has drilled 4,489 onshore and offshore oil and gas wells in the past four decades after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Holding 70 onshore and offshore drilling rigs, as well as equipment and facilities for offering integrated technical and engineering services, the company plays a major part in drilling exploration wells as well as appraisal/development wells in the country.

In late February, NIDC’s deputy managing director for drilling operations announced that the company had dug and completed the digging operation of 100 oil and gas wells during the first ten months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2019-February 19, 2020). Hamidreza Khoshayand said the drilled wells consisted of two exploration wells and 35 development/appraisal wells as well as 63 workover ones. - Mehr