Page 56 - IRANRptFeb21

field to commence next October or later
year, an official was on December 15 reported as saying by Tasnim News Agency.
In comments made on the sidelines of the start of drilling work on the first well in Phase 11, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) official Reza Dehqan said the first Phase 11 extraction platform would be installed during the first half of 2021—and that meant that a previous commitment from Iran’s oil minister to start gas production before the end of President Hassan Rouhani’s term in office, which will end in the summer, could not be fulfilled.
Of the 24 wells to be drilled in Phase 11 of the development of the giant gas field, five or six should be producing gas by late 2021, according to latest plans.
9.2.2 ​Automotive corporate news
Iran’s Kerman Motor Co launches Chinese-derived pickup truck
Private automaker Kerman Motor Company has introduced a new pickup to the Iranian market, Persian Khodro reported on January 11.
Iranian car producers have struggled in recent years to get vehicles on to the market given the havoc caused by the severely depreciating Iranian rial to customs officers and car dealers working out vehicle sales prices. As well as undermining the currency, US sanctions levied against Iran have forced several international auto players to back out of the growing West Asian market.
The new wagon gives a nod and a wink towards American trucks with a large oversized “KMC” logo on the front of the vehicle.
Originally produced in China as a JAC T8 Pickup, the vehicle has been modified and brought to Iran in complete knock-down (CKD) kits to avoid stringent customs duties applied to finished products.
Under its bonnet is a Euro IV-compliant 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine that generates 136hp and 320Nm of torque. The vehicle also has a six-speed manual transmission and a 4x2 drivetrain, useful for industrial work but not designed for off-roading.
Originally launched in China in early 2019, the updated model has already been launched on several other markets, including those of South Africa and the Philippines.
9.2.3​ Aviation corporate news
Iranian airlines on ‘verge of bankruptcy’
The chair of the board of the Iranian Airlines Association has said carriers face massive financial losses and are on the verge of bankruptcy because of the 60% capacity limit applied to passenger jets amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Mehr News Agency reported on January 3.
Iran’s airline industry was already in dire straits due to the impacts of heavy US sanctions that hit passenger potential and placed big obstacles in the way of sourcing aircraft parts. The latest difficulties could bring the death knell for many smaller and some larger players if enough support from financial institutions or the government is not forthcoming.
In a letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, board chair Younes Daghigh Kia requested the scrapping of the capacity limit.
“Some airlines will soon go bankrupt [due to the passenger limit],” he wrote. He added: "Since the beginning of the pandemic, airlines, despite the heavy economic pressure on them, have acted according to their social responsibilities along with other industries and services in the country.” Daghigh Kia said that “air conditioning systems in the aeroplanes are provided
56​ IRAN Country Report February 2021 www.intellinews.com