Iran ranks third in the world in terms of oil reserves. What you need to know

Oil production in Iran is conducted at about 70 fields located along the Persian Gulf. The country produces about 3.2 million barrels of crude oil daily, which is 7.5% of the global level. The total proven oil reserves in Iran are estimated at about 157-208 billion barrels, which puts the republic in third place in the world in terms of reserves after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Production is mainly concentrated at the three largest fields: Ahvaz, Gechsaran and Marun. In total, they provide Iran with about half of the total production in the republic. What is especially important about their oil production is in the Izvestia article.

Ahvaz field

• The largest oil field in Iran is considered to be Ahvaz. It is located in the province of Khuzestan, which borders Iraq and has access to the Persian Gulf. The field was discovered in 1953, and the following year the Anglo-Persian Oil Company began producing there, which was later nationalized and became the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

• Ahvaz is one of the largest oil and gas fields in the world, according to some sources it ranks third on the planet in terms of available volumes. NIOC estimates its reserves at 65.5 billion barrels of oil (about 9 billion tons) and 311 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Ahvaz contains about 23% of Iran's oil reserves. In terms of recoverable reserves, the field has from 25.5 billion to 37 billion barrels of oil.

• The field has two main productive horizons. The first layer, Asmari, lies at a depth of about 1,500 m and is represented by sandstone. The lower horizon, Bangestan, is located at a depth of about 3,100 m in limestone deposits. The main production is carried out from Asmari, which is more accessible for extraction. The daily production volume reaches 750 thousand barrels, which is more than 30 million tons of oil per year.

• Oil from the Asmari horizon is a high-quality raw material and has an average density of 31-33 API degrees. It makes it possible to obtain a large percentage of gasoline, diesel and rocket fuel during primary distillation, making the refining process relatively cheap. It has a low content of paraffins, but it contains 1.5% sulfur, which classifies this oil as sulfurous, non-ecological grades. Oil from the Bangestan formation is even lighter in density, but it contains a lot of paraffins, which makes it difficult to transport it and increases production costs.

Gechsaran field

• The second most important oil field in Iran is Gechsaran. It is located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyerakhmed provinces, which borders Khuzestan in the southeast. Its discovery took place back in 1928, and two years later it produced the first oil. The industrial development of the oil field began in 1939. Initially, mining was carried out only in the western part of Gechsaran, and since the 1980s, the eastern part has also been developed.

• The oil reserves in Gechsaran are estimated at about 52 billion barrels, with recoverable reserves ranging from 16 billion to 23 billion barrels. Available natural gas reserves reach 162 billion cubic meters. Daily oil production reaches 560 thousand barrels, which is the second indicator for the Iranian oil industry.

• Gechsaran is also located above the horizons of Asmari and Bangestan, and the Khami gas-bearing formation is also located below them. There is a hydraulic connection between the deposits, which allows oil to flow from one horizon to another. The oil at Gechsaran is similar in characteristics to Asmari oil, slightly losing to it in density and sulfur content. At the same time, the field is more difficult to drill and has virtually no water inflows to provide reservoir pressure, which requires more water or gas injection for production.

Marun deposit

• Marun, Iran's third largest oil and gas field, is located a few kilometers southeast of Ahvaz in the same province of Khuzestan. It was discovered in 1963, and three years later oil production began on the Asmari horizon. In 1973, mining began on the Bangestan horizon. In 1986, a gas well was drilled to the Hami formation, and shortly thereafter it also began to supply natural gas.

• Maruna's geological oil reserves are estimated at 47 billion barrels. The field's recoverable reserves reach 22 billion barrels of oil and 113 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Daily production is approximately equal to the productivity of Gechsaran and usually ranges from 520 thousand to 600 thousand barrels.

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• The peculiarity of the upper horizon of Marune is that it consists not of sandstone, but of pore-fractured limestone, and lies 800 m lower than on Ahvaz. This makes mining a little more expensive. According to the main parameters, Maruna oil is close to its neighbor, but has a sulfur content of 1.8%.

South Pars field

• Iran also partially owns the largest oil and gas field, which it shares with Qatar. It is located in the central part of the Persian Gulf and is known from Iran as South Pars. Although the two countries essentially own the same field, their discovery and development began at different times. The Qatari part, known as the North, was opened in 1971 and produced the first gas in 1991. Iran discovered gas deposits in its waters in 1990 and began producing it on an industrial scale in 2002.

• South Pars has gas reserves of 14.2 trillion cubic meters, which is 5.6% of the world's total. At the same time, the recoverable part is approximately 10 trillion cubic meters. In addition to natural gas, the field has significant volumes of condensate, that is, in fact, an analogue of light oil. Iran has the ability to extract up to 9 billion barrels of condensate from South Pars.

Oil and gas exports from Iran

• Iran produces and sells two brands of oil: Iran Light and Iran Heavy. Iran Light light oil, which is used for gasoline production, is considered to be of the highest quality. Iran Heavy is needed for fuel oil, diesel and other petroleum products, but it serves as a price guide in the Middle East.

• China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey are the leading importers of Iranian oil (in different years), but the bulk of exports go to China. This is due to the popular assumption that the conflict between the United States and Venezuela and Iran is connected, not least, with the desire to cut off oil supplies to Beijing.

• Iran's largest export terminals are located on the Persian Gulf islands of Kharq, Lavan and Sirri, through which the sea route for oil supplies lies. At the same time, since due to international sanctions, the level of production significantly exceeds the level of exports, Iran stores significant amounts of oil on board tankers and in coastal storage facilities.