TEHRAN- The CEO of the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) said: 23 oil and gas wells were drilled and completed in the first three months of this Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 20), through the efforts of the drilling crews and the utilization of the company's drilling fleet, in the country's onshore and offshore oil-rich areas.

Morteza Fuladi stated in an interview with IRNA: Of these wells, 6 were developmental and appraisal wells, and 17 were workover wells.

He stated: 19 of the completed wells were in the operational area of the National Southern Oilfields Company, 1 in the Offshore Oil Company, and 3 were drilled and completed within the framework of projects and handed over to client companies.

Fuladi noted that the drilling footage recorded during this period amounted to 41,515 meters, and said: Currently, 8 heavy and light onshore drilling rigs are being relocated in the operational areas.

According to this report, the National Iranian Drilling Company currently owns 73 onshore and offshore drilling rigs (in light, heavy, and ultra-heavy classes).

Iran’s oil and gas drilling industry is anchored by the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC), a state-owned subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Founded in 1979 with just six rigs? NIDC has grown into one of the largest drilling service companies in the region. Headquartered in Ahvaz? it provides over 90% of the drilling services needed domestically and operates across more than 10 provinces—from the Caspian Sea in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south.

NIDC manages a vast fleet of 73 onshore and offshore drilling rigs in light, heavy, and ultra-heavy classes. Its services include exploration, development, workover, and well completion, as well as specialized operations like cementing, acidizing, and drill stem testing. Over its history, the company has drilled over 9.5 million meters of wells and completed more than 4,700 oil and gas wells.

In recent years, NIDC has significantly boosted its performance. In the first year of the current administration, it drilled and completed 114 wells with over 115,000 meters drilled. Last year, the company completed 100 wells, and recent reports show drilling fleet productivity reaching 78% with a 9.1% reduction in standby time.

To maintain momentum, NIDC is modernizing its fleet through a $800 million initiative to overhaul rigs and acquire 15 new onshore rigs. It is also localizing equipment manufacturing to reduce dependence on imports—a critical strategy given international sanctions. With around 17,500 employees? the company remains central to Iran’s efforts to sustain and grow its oil and gas production.

EF/MA