You first spoke of 14 projects. Would you please tell us about the remaining five projects?
Alongside the nine projects are five projects on the development of exploration technologies. With the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, an agreement has been signed for improving underground image mapping in the sedimentary Kappeh Dagh area, with Shahid Beheshti University an agreement has been signed on geochemical exploration and hydrocarbon modeling in the North Dezful area, with Shahroud University an agreement has been signed on geomechanical technology, with Khawrazmi University the agreement is about fractured carbonated rocks in Abadan Plain and with Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, the agreement is about geochemical exploration in Abadan Plain.
How have these five projects got under way?
In addition to the nine aforesaid universities, five exploration agreements comprising four packages were signed with five universities. We are in the stage of the first package so that a roadmap for the development of technology would be drawn up. These contracts will have been accomplished by early 2019. For each case, a separate roadmap would be drawn up before deciding next steps for technological projects in coming years. Each of these universities can provide technological services.
What are the unique features and achievements of these projects?
Accomplishment of resilient economy with a view to making executive operations knowledge-based and the universities’ concentration on a specific subject and upgrading the talents of that university, creating a scientific and technological network in these megaprojects, formation of a group of petroleum industry specialists and universities, communication between research and executive operations and adaptation of this chain with NIOC plans at the Directorate of Corporate Planning are unique features which make progress irreversible.
Another achievement in this sector has been commercialization and equipment manufacturing. We have also provided instructions for creating scientific and innovative networks between universities so that all universities involved in the field-oriented contracts would have an innovation network. Meantime, creating a student-dominated atmosphere and holding student competitions and directing these competitions also constitute a very valuable achievement for us.
Within the portfolio of the Directorate of Research and Technology we are looking for satisfactory implementation and acquiring new technologies so that all levels and sectors would be complete and finally the development objectives of the company would be accomplished. It is important to note that in the Directorate of Research and Technology we are not merely looking for the implementation of the projects. Rather, we intend to make sure that this project has been defined within its right status in the oil plans. For that purpose, a specialized committee comprising 56 technical staff from subsidiary companies in the steering committee is cooperating so that there would be coordination between Petroleum Ministry, NIOC, Directorate of Research and Technology and Directorate of Corporate Planning. In other words, we don’t want the plans to be like isolated islands.
What are the main objectives of NIOC Directorate of Research and Technology?
The concentration at NIOC is on developing technologies in the exploration and production sectors. We have signed five contracts in the exploration sector and 9 others in the production sector. These 14 contracts represent our megaprojects. Moreover, we have about 63 other projects, four of which were accomplished this year. In total, within NIOC and its subsidiaries, a total of 470 student projects are under way. Through our interaction with the Directorate of Human Resources, we support conscripts who have been confirmed as exemplary. We have also signed two agreements with the Planning and Budgeting Organization. One of them is about upgrading science and technology at NIOC. Under the 5th Development Plan, 30 projects were implemented under that agreement, and eight others are to be finished by next March.
What are research and technology priorities in the 6th plan?
Our priorities are exploration, production and overcoming challenges to these two sectors. Improved oil recovery, enhanced oil recovery, reservoir management projects as well as production installations, desalting facilities and anti-corrosion projects are envisaged. Other programs include efficient energy use, protection of the environment, zero flaring, containing pollutants, adopting physical assets management instructions and commercialization of all these achievements, which would be implemented under the 6th development plan.
Could you tell us about the necessity of communication with international research centers?
Maintaining communications with scientific and research centers in the world and attending international forums are of high significance because oil has always been an international commodity. Therefore, every education is required to be international. Most of work we do and the technologies we need are similar to each other, but we need to be aware of the latest technical and technological achievements and use them. We need to improve our communications within NIOC. Development must be high on our agenda. However, due to international restrictions, our international communications have been restricted, but we hope that they would be revived soon. Of course, in exploration and field-oriented contracts, we will follow up on using international experience through universities and will continue our international cooperation in the projects via consultants. Our presence at international fora is a must because we can learn about cutting edge technologies through reading articles. Then we can make ourselves known at international fora by presenting papers. In many conferences, participants are surprised when they hear about what we have done in the country without having spoken about it. Therefore, we need to increase our presence at international fora in order to realize where the world is headed to. That would help us learn about the trends in addition to being able to present our scientific potential in the oil sector.