TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (Shana) -- National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) says it has planned to add 5 rigs to its fleet.

�NIDC rig count is expected to reach 75 by the end of the current (Iranian calendar) year and we plan to bring 5 additional rigs to that number� Mohammad Takayedi, deputy managing director of NIDC, told Shana.

Pointing out the ongoing negotiations with Italian and Iraqi companies, he said he expected more agreements will be reached in the current sanction-free setting.

�Drilling operations in Sufikam, Golestan Province, north of Iran, began last month and are expected to be completed within the next three months before NIDC begins pre-startup tests,� he added.

Appraisal studies began in Golestan Province in 2010 and led to an agreement between NIDC and Khazar Exploration and Production Company in 2015 to further exploration of the region.

By SHANA