Iran to develop gas layers of Balal oil field

A senior oil official says the Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC) plans to develop gas layers of Balal offshore oil field in southern Iran.

Alireza Ghazi-Zahedi, deputy director of the company’s Lavan Operational Zone, said the development of Balal field oil layers began in 2001, and currently the development of the field’s gas layers is underway.

He pointed to the enormous natural gas potential of Balal oil field, adding that comprehensive studies are being conducted to find out about the total gas reserves of the field.

On August 15, 2011, managing director of the IOOC Mahmoud Zirakchianzadeh said plans have been devised to increase Balal oil field’s output to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the current 30,000 bpd.

IOOC also plans to extract 500 million cubic feet of gas per day from the oil field, he added.

Balal oil field is situated about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf and near Iran’s maritime border with Qatar.

The Balal gas layer follows the eastern side of the giant South Pars Gas Field, and is estimated that the site contains approximately 183 million barrels of recoverable gas condensate reserves.

The oil from the Balal field is transferred to Lavan Island and blended with oil from the Salman field before export.