Iran's Changouleh Officially Starts Production

The first phase of development at the Changouleh Oil Field officially entered a new stage, targeting production of 60,000 barrels of oil per day, as senior oil industry officials attended the launch ceremony.

According to the Petroleum Engineering and Development Co. (PEDEC), the inaugural meeting for Phase 1 of the Changouleh field development was held Wednesday after formal approval and notification of the contract’s commencement. Members of PEDEC’s board of directors and senior managers, representatives of the National Iranian Oil Co., and executives from Oil Industries Engineering and Construction Co., the project’s main investor and contractor, attended the meeting at PEDEC headquarters. Officials outlined the development plan for this shared field and stressed the need for precise planning to ensure successful implementation.

Nozar Salehi, a PEDEC board member, underscored the need to streamline project execution. He called for applying lessons learned from previous projects, accelerating the formation of the Joint Management Committee (JMC), drafting an organizational chart aligned with the approved budget, clarifying the cash-flow framework, and adhering to the project’s timeline.

Ebrahim Fallah, project manager for the Changouleh field development, presented an update on current progress and recent actions.

Describing the field’s location, he said Changouleh is one of Iran’s shared oil fields in Ilam Province, southeast of the Azar oil field. Estimates indicate the field contains about 4.2 billion barrels of oil in place.

Fallah added that four wells have been drilled so far, three of which are capable of production. The field contains two reservoir layers—Upper Sarvak and Lower Sarvak—and produces sour crude with an API gravity of 24.

He said the Phase 1 development plan calls for producing 60,000 barrels per day through drilling 18 new production wells, two appraisal wells and two wastewater disposal wells.

Fallah emphasized the importance of precise execution, noting that completion of drilling, pipelines, wellhead facilities, access roads and central processing facilities will bring production to 30,000 barrels per day in the first stage of Phase 1. In the second stage, output will rise to 60,000 barrels per day. “We are committed to meeting all project targets in line with the approved schedule,” he said. - Shana