Iran Saves $15mln in Drilling

Bahmani to the oil ministry\'s website, Shana, that in last Iranian year, the company\'s workforce succeeded in accomplishing drilling operations in 45 oil and gas wells 451 days ahead of the timetable set by the contractors. He said drilling operations are underway by 71 drilling rigs across the country, and added that the company plans to increase the number of its drilling rigs to 80 this year. He said that domestic manufacturers are involved in building a number of offshore and onshore drilling rigs, and mentioned that Iranian experts were working on two offshore drilling rigs and one onshore super rig this year. \"By building these drilling rigs not only manufacturing activities and drilling projects gain steam but at least 400 jobs will be created directly and indirectly,\" the official said. Naming the last year as a successful year for NIDC, Bahmani said drilling or completion of 192 oil and gas wells, drilling a total 454 thousand meters of well and providing more than 8 thousand expert or technical services to customers indicated the huge capabilities of the company on one hand, and its determination to attain the goals determined by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for the country\'s five year development plan period on the other hand. As an upstream subsidiary of the NIOC, NIDC provides more than 90 percent of drilling services needed by the oil companies inside the country.