Page 8 - MEOG Week 27 2021

MEOG PIPELINES & TRANSPORT MEOG

Pipeline explosion kills

three in southern Iran

IRAN AN oil pipeline explosion killed three workers on NIOC to take the necessary steps to help
and injured four others in south-west Iran this workers and their families in the area and to send
week during work to repair the conduit. health, safety, and environment (HSE) teams to
The Iranian Central Oil Fields Co. (ICOFC) investigate the cause of the blast, according to
announced that a gas leak in the 20-inch (508- official energy sector media outlet Shana.
mm) Cheshmeh Khosh-Ahvaz line had caused The pipeline is 153 km long and transports up
the explosion during a routine overhaul. to 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude.
The company released a statement saying: ICOFC operates onshore oilfields located
“Unfortunately, several employees of the opera- to the north of the remit of the National Ira-
tional department present at the site of the explo- nian South Oil Co. (NISOC) as well as several
sion were killed and injured in this incident.” onshore gas assets. These yield production of
ICOFC, which is a subsidiary of the National around 200,000 bpd of crude and 10bn cubic feet
Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC), said that the fire was (283,000 cubic metres) per day, according to data
contained and extinguished after the explosion, from Wood Mackenzie.
with rescue teams and other support groups sent While Cheshmeh Khosh was discovered in
to the scene to help those injured. 1964 and came into production in 1975, only its
Meanwhile, Adnan Ghazi, governor of the Asmari reservoir has been significantly devel-
nearby town of Shoush, told the Islamic Republic oped so far, with the Bangestan reservoir still to
News Agency (IRNA): “The accident took place be tapped.
… today, Tuesday, due to an explosion caused by Output from the field is around 18,000 bpd
a gas leak at the pipeline [pumping] station.” of crude and 115 mmcf per day of gas, though
He added that three technicians were killed, ICOFC is undertaking an enhanced recovery
with the four injured having been resting in a project that is expected to raise output from an
nearby room at the time of the explosion. anticipated 312-375mn barrels of oil in place
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh called (OIP).™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 27 07•July•2021