TEHRAN, March 06 (Shana) -- National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) has drilled over 113km of earth at South Azadegan development project.

Manouchehr Asadi, NIDC's project manager, has said drilling projects at the oilfield, which Iran shares with neighboring Iraq, are 75% complete.

NIDC has placed 8 drilling rigs in the region which have so far finished spudding 28 wells and are to drill another 8 wells at the field.

40 wells of the project are expected to come on-stream by late-2016, said Assadi.

National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) in 2013 awarded Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC) the development project of the field which was formerly being developed by a Chinese contractor that was expelled from the field for foot-dragging.

Iranian Ministry of Petroleum has devised dozens of plans to boost crude oil production from West Karoun oilfields including Yadavaran, North Azadegan, South Azadegan, North Yaran and South Yaran which Iran shares with neighboring Iraq.

China’s CNPCI was initially in charge of South Azadegan, but Iran cancelled its contract after the Chinese company failed to fulfill its obligations.

Development of South Azadegan field requires drilling of 40 wells by NIDC, 40 wells by National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) and 20 others by a private company.

In its first phase of development, South Azadegan will be producing 32,000 b/d of oil and 197 mcf/d of gas. In the second phase, oil production will rise to 600,000 b/d.

By SHANA