TEHRAN- The Exploration Director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has announced that the newly discovered "Takhteh" gas field in Fars Province has an estimated economic value of approximately $45 billion, describing it as one of the most significant gas discoveries in the country over the past two decades.

In an interview with Shana, Seyyed Mohieddin Jafari detailed the discovery of the Takhteh gas field, stating that it is located 10 kilometers northwest of the city of Khonj and approximately 35 kilometers from the old gas fields of "Shanul" and "Homa."

He explained that the total gas in place at this field amounts to 7,500 billion cubic feet. With a recovery factor of 72%, approximately 5,700 billion cubic feet of this volume is recoverable.

Jafari noted that the gas from the Takhteh field is sweet, emphasizing: "This gas does not require a sweetening process, so it will follow a shorter path in development and processing compared to sour gas fields."

Equivalent to 15 years of production from one phase of South Pars

Jafari stated that the recoverable gas from Takhteh is equivalent to about 15 years of production from a standard phase of South Pars, and added: "This reserve can play a significant role in meeting the country's gas demand."

He announced that the field is about 50 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide, and described it as "one of the most complex exploration structures discovered in the last 20 years" in terms of geological complexities.

Referring to the field's geological challenges, Jafari explained: "Multiple layer repetitions and faulting in the upstream sections of the reservoir made exploration operations highly difficult. Nevertheless, exploratory drilling continued to a depth of about five kilometers underground, and upon entering the reservoir, a significant volume of gas was discovered in a thickness of approximately 450 meters."

20 million barrels of recoverable condensates

Jafari also reported the presence of 27 million barrels of gas condensates in the Takhteh field, noting that about 20 million barrels of this amount are recoverable. Combined with the gas reserves, this brings the field's economic value to around $40 billion.

Regarding the exploration timeline, he said: "The drilling of the Takhteh exploratory well alone took about 17 months. After completing exploration operations and conducting final tests, the obtained data were carefully analyzed."

The Exploration Director of NIOC further emphasized that the entire exploration process of the Takhteh field was carried out by Iranian personnel, stating: "All exploration stages—from geological studies and geophysical activities to drilling operations—were conducted using the capabilities of Iranian forces."

Jafari added: "The technology, equipment, and tools used in this operation are also Iranian. In technical, equipment, and engineering sectors, there was no need for foreign personnel or companies."

He described the Takhteh gas field as a fully Iranian discovery and stressed: "This achievement demonstrates that the country's technical, engineering, and specialized capacity in oil and gas exploration has reached a level where complex exploration projects can be successfully completed without reliance on foreign parties."

EF/MA