WANA (Nov 24) – Following the successful installation of the jacket for the Farzad-B gas platform, competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia in one of the region’s most important shared energy fields has entered a new phase—one that experts describe as the “beginning of a gas battle” between the two countries.

 

Last Wednesday, the lifting and preparation operations for the four-legged jacket of the shared Farzad-B field were successfully completed—an achievement that brings Iran a step closer to starting drilling in this joint field with Saudi Arabia. According to the announced development plan, daily production from this field could reach about 28 million cubic meters of gas and 5,000 barrels of gas condensate by 2028.

 

This phase, however, was carried out with a seven-month delay, pushing the installation schedule from its original deadline in May under the current administration. During this period, Saudi Arabia has already been producing from its side of the field—known as the “Arabiyah” field—since 2016 and is currently producing nearly 34 million cubic meters of gas per day. According to experts, this difference in pace reflects Iran’s lag and implies an estimated loss of around $25 billion.

 

Asghar Ebrahimi-Asl, former deputy oil minister, previously highlighted this gap, noting: “Saudi Arabia earns $15 billion annually from the Farzad A and B gas fields, while Iran gains no revenue from them.” He also pointed out that in the shared Forouzan oil field, Saudi Arabia produces about 600,000 barrels per day and plans to increase it to 800,000, whereas Iran’s share is only about 35,000 barrels per day. Ebrahimi-Asl warned: “These are joint fields—if Iran does not produce, Saudi Arabia will continue to drain the reserves.”

 

This energy expert stressed the need for technical and managerial restructuring in Iran’s energy sector, arguing that with a capable technical and strategic team in the Oil Ministry and a focus on developing joint fields, Iran could potentially increase its oil production to 7–10 million barrels per day. According to him, such an approach would not only reduce raw crude exports but also pave the way for expanding refining capacity and creating bilateral and multilateral partnerships to convert oil and gas into high-value products—contributing significantly to national wealth.

 

With the installation of the Farzad-B jacket completed, attention is now turning to the drilling phase and the pace of project execution—factors that analysts believe will determine how much Iran can make up for years of lag in its race with Saudi Arabia in this shared field.

Iran Begins Development of One of the World’s Largest Gas Fields

Iran Begins Development of One of the World’s Largest Gas Fields. Social media/ WANA News Agency