The duo currently needs investment and state-of-the-art technology. Iran has offered Dey and Sefid Zakhour for investment.

The Sefid Zakhour anticline is located north of the Dey anticline, 150 kilometers southwest of the southern city of Shiraz.

Dey and Sefid Zakhour are estimated to hold 6.2 tcf and 6.5 tcf of gas in place, respectively. The two fields were discovered in 2005 and were said to contain a 11.4 tcf of gas. With a recovery rate of 75%, 8.5 tcf of gas may be extracted from them.

In order to complete exploration data in this field, 2D seismic testing was conducted in 2003 and the results were analyzed and interpreted. The Sefid Zakhour anticline was said to have potential for production. Drilling operations started and the first exploration well was spudded at a depth of 5,271 meters.

The Exploration directorate of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) explored sweet gas in different layers of Kangan Dalan.

Sefid Zakhour is estimated to hold 205 million barrels of condensate in place with a recovery rate of 35%.

According to the NIOC Exploration Directorate forecasts, if 17 wells are drilled 30 mcm/d of gas may be recovered.

The Sefid Zakhour anticline is located around 30 kilometers south of the city of Qir.

The planned development of Dey and Sefid Zakhour fields in Fars Province is expected to provide 15.1 mcm of gas and 10,000 barrels of condensate.

Wellhead equipment, stream pipelines, green space and processing unit are envisaged in the development projects.

Establishment of a center for gathering and separation, laying out pipelines, installations for Farashband processing unit and drilling projects are among activities considered for this project.

The next objective sought by these projects is to develop the Farashband refinery to create a gas processing capacity of 21 mcm/d. The refinery processing capacity is planned to increase 5 mcm/d, while the produced gas would be injected into the Iran Gas Trunkline 2 (IGAT2). Meantime, gas condensate will be transferred to the Shiraz refinery. 

A refinery is envisaged for the two fields in two phases under engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) framework. Phase 1 is already complete and Phase 2 is under way.

Acquisition of land for laying out pipelines and drilling wells, completing the existing two wells, drilling and completion of 11 new fields, purchase of commodities and activating wellhead installations, laying out wellhead pipelines, setting up a gas and condensate separation center, installation of two pumps to transfer condensate from Sefid Zakhour, purchase and installation of pigging system, installation of line break valves, establishment of logistics camps, power supply, acquisition of land for the refinery, development of Farashband refinery including dehydration and gas condensate stability units, hydrocarbon dew point regulation unit, low-pressure gas recovery compressors, and installation of pumps to carry liquids from the refinery to Taheri Port are among the most important equipment needed in the upstream and downstream sectors of this project.

According to initial estimates, Dey and Sefid Zakhour would need IRR 8615.4 billion plus $519.5 million in investment.

Due to the decline in the flow of feedstock into Fajr Jam refinery and the plan to get feedstock from neighboring fields, delivery of gas produced in Sefid Zakhour to Fajr Jam refinery is among the most important plans for domestic gas supply.

Courtesy of Iran Petroleum