Page 66 - IRANRptNov21

South Azadegan and Yaran.” He added that the 1mn bpd expansion was one of NIOC’s top priorities.
The West Karoun cluster in Khuzestan Province includes several large oilfields that straddle the Iran-Iraq border, namely Azadegan, Yaran, Yadavaran and Darkhoein, with the first three divided into north and south projects. The block holds an estimated 67bn barrels of oil in place (OIP). Oil production from the fields currently runs at around 420,000 bpd.
Khojastehmehr was appointed head of NIOC in September. He made the comments during a ceremony to unveil Abouzar Sharifi as CEO of NIOC subsidiary Petroleum Engineering and Development Co. (PEDEC), replacing Touraj Dehghani.
Khojastehmehr stressed the need for the swift implementation of oilfields shared with Iraq, adding that “delays and shortcomings in the development of these fields have been due to defects in the contracts concluded between PEDEC and the developers”.
He added: “We expect the development process of the South Azadegan joint field to be completed within a year.”
In July last year, PEDEC and fellow NIOC subsidiary Petropars signed a $1.26bn contract to increase oil production capacity at South Azadegan from 140,000 bpd to 320,000 bpd by the end of January 2023. The upstream portion of the contract includes drilling 35 wells, installing 50 downhole ESP pumps and completing eight manifolds.
9.2.2 Automotive corporate news
Iran’s Saipa QUIK receives 4-star local quality grading
Iran’s IKCO teases first ever crossover model
The upcoming QUIK small crossover from Iran’s Saipa Group has received a four-star rating issued by the Iranian Quality and Standards Inspection Company (ISQI), according to Mehr News Agency. The top rating is five-star.
The QUIK model is based on the group’s locally developed small car platform, which is already used for the Tiba and Saina models sold that have been sold in Iran for the past several years. The car’s launch has been hampered by effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that effectively shut down the research and development department at Saipa.
The car comes fitted with ABS brakes as standard and a 1.6 standard petrol engine, turbocharged in the S model indication.
IQSI tested for vehicle emissions, performance, paint quality, as well as the interior finish including upholstery.
The closest model currently available in the QUIK line-up is the QUIK Gear R, currently for sale on the open market at Iranian toman (IRT) 175mn ($6,481 at the unofficial exchange rate). The new model is expected to top this price. Saipa has not stated if the car is destined for the regional export market, though it has previously said it was looking at sales in regional countries including Iraq and Armenia, where the company has previously operated showrooms.
Iran Khodro Corporation (IKCO) has announced its first-ever crossover model, the K125, for the local market with presales expected in the coming months, LIT has reported.
The country's largest carmaker has struggled in recent years to upgrade its offer due to US sanctions specifically levied on the company and the Iranian auto production industry. IKCO is, meanwhile, playing catchup with its main competitor on the Iranian market, SAIPA. The latter offers at least two locally developed crossover models, the latest of which is the Aria.
66 IRAN Country Report November 2021 www.intellinews.com