WOGPC Investment Opportunities
West Oil and Gas Production Company (WOGPC) which is one of the three subsidiaries of Iranian Central Oil Fields Company (ICOFC) officially launched its activities by producing, processing and shipping oil and gas to consumer spots in March 1999. WOGPC is mainly operating in Kermanshah, Ilam and Lorestan provinces, all located in western Iran. In the future, any oil and gas field that becomes operational in western provinces would be under administration of WOGPC.
WOGPC has currently a production capacity of 180,000 b/d of crude oil and 7 mcm/d of gas. The company plans to enhance its production capacity to 440,000 b/d of oil and 15 mcm/d of gas in 10 years.
Saeed Nasseripour, CEO of WOGPC, says it is the only company that has managed to meet its production target set by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) in the current calendar year (started in March).
He said that WOGPC was forced by international sanctions to reduce below expectations last year, adding that the company totally has been meeting its targets in all of its hydrocarbon fields, particularly the jointly owned ones, since April.
Nasseripour said since its very establishment, WOGPC has been seeking to work for the completion of half-finished projects and provide necessary facilities for maintaining its oil and gas production ceiling in parallel with growth in the oil and gas consumption in the housing and industrial sectors. WOGPC has devised plans to develop other oil and gas fields.
WOGPC Makes Up 90% of ICOFC Output
Nasseripour said WOGPC accounts for 90% of ICOFC's production, adding: "This company is currently producing around 180,000 b/d of oil from 11 fields."
Regarding production from jointly owned oil fields, he said: "From 11 oil fields operating under authority of WOGPC, the four oil fields of Naft Shahr, Aban, Dehloran and Paydar Gharb are jointly owned. Under the present circumstances, given the importance of maximum production from the jointly fields, production from these fields is seriously pursued."
He noted that Paydar Gharb and Aban were producing more than their obligations.
Nasseripour said that WOGPC administers more than 12 oil fields and 7 gas fields in its five operating areas of Tang Bijar, Naft Shahr, Cheshmeh Khosh, Serkan and Dehloran. The oil and gas fields are located in Ilam, Lorestan, Kermanshah, Qom and Khuzestan provinces.
According to Nasseripour, WOGPC is currently operating 102 wells, including 5 gas and 97 oil wells. He added that six more wells are to become operational by the end of the current calendar year in March 2017. He expressed hope that WOGPC would be able to meet its production targets by completing Well No. 18 in Cheshmeh Khosh, Wells No. 30, 31 and 32 in Paydar Gharb, Well No. 11 in Aban and Well No. 34 in Dehloran.
Nasseripour said development of Naft Shahr field, which is a shared one, started in 2008 within the framework of a production and a desalting unit. Furthermore, a gas pressure booster station is currently in the stage of assigning following engineering studies.
Naft Shahr production unit is located 220 kilometers west of Kermanshah and 60 kilometers from Qasr-e Shirin. With a nominal capacity of 15,000 b/d, it delivers processed and desalted oil to a pumping facility before being sent to feed Kermanshah refinery. Since Iran shares this field with neighboring Iraq, it is of high significance.
Tang Bijar, WOGPC Sole Operating Gas Field
Nasseripour said Tang Bijar which is producing 7 mcm/d of gas was the only operating gas field run by WOGPC.
Regarding planning for gas production in winter, he added: "Necessary overhauls started in Tang Bijar production unit in June. Thanks to precise planning there would be no halt in the winter gas supply."
Nasseripour said the gas produced in Tang Bijar is injected into national gas trunkline through Ilam refinery.
"To avoid pressure fall-off in the national gas trunkline in winter and in the light of the necessity of steady production of 7 mcm/d of gas, two slug catchers have been built in Tang Bijar production unit. In case of any problem or corrosion in one unit, the second one will be used as alternative. Periodic and annual overhaul is done when it is hot," he added.
Tang Bijar & Kaman Kouh production center is located 70 kilometers from the city of Ilam. The first unit of this center came on-stream in 2007. The capacity of this processing center stands at 7 mcm/d of gas, which is gathered and sent to Ilam gas treatment facility. Gas condensate produced in this center is also sent to Ilam gas treatment facility through a pipeline measuring 6 inches in diameter.
OMV Ready to Operate Cheshmeh Khosh
Cheshmeh Khosh oil field is one of the ageing oil fields located in the area run by WOGPC. Production from this field, which was discovered in 1964, started in 1975. It is currently producing 18,000 b/d of oil. This field is located in Dasht Abbas area in Ilam Province, more precisely 52 kilometers