Iran is to start gas well drilling operations offshore at its Arash gas field in the Persian Gulf, Iranian Offshore Oil Company’s managing director said according to Iran’s Mehr News agency.
Mahmoud Zirakchianzadeh said that Iran plans to drill four wells at the field adding that currently a drilling jacket has been constructed, installed and came on stream at the field.
The disputed Arash gas field, which contains 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lies between Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
“Iran has proposed that development, investment, production and management be done on a joint basis by the parties involved,” Shana news agency quoted Zirakchianzadeh as saying in March.
Zirakchianzadeh added: “The Iranian Offshore Oil Company has raised the proposal of ‘partnership instead of competition’ for the development of the Arash field as well as other joint hydrocarbon fields.”
Iran has proposed to set up joint operations with Kuwait to develop the offshore field in the past, it is not known if it has had any luck in winning its Arab neighbours over. Â Meanwhile Kuwait’s Kuwait Gulf Oil Co. and Saudi Arabia’s Aramco Gulf Operations have set up the Khafji Joint Operations which is a joint venture between the two states to develop the Arash field referred to as ‘Dorra’ by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
