Upstream Research and Development Center

Established concurrently with RIPI in 1959 as a research unit, the Upstream Research and Development Center began its activities with petroleum engineering laboratories and expanded into other upstream oil and gas sectors. The center focuses on applied research, development, and management of conventional and unconventional reservoirs, improving production methods, addressing technological needs, providing technical knowledge, offering laboratory scientific services, and resolving operational challenges.

The Upstream Center aligns its efforts with achieving the oil industry’s value chain goals, addressing current challenges, and developing forward-looking plans in the upstream sector of the National Iranian Oil Company. It produces technology, acquires technological knowledge, and provides innovative technological solutions, including:

– Developing methods for unconventional hydrocarbon resources.

– Developing and applying modern technologies for reservoir management and enhanced recovery tailored to Iranian reservoir conditions.

– Adopting approaches to increase production by addressing issues such as wax and asphaltene deposition, sand production, and casing collapse.

– Ensuring energy-supply-chain sustainability through underground storage of natural gas and hydrogen.

Vision:

Conducting fundamental and applied research, comprehensive studies, providing scientific and laboratory services, as well as scientific and managerial consulting to address the technological needs of the oil industry and resolve its operational challenges within the country.

Mission:

In alignment with the strategic objectives of the oil industry value chain, the Upstream Research and Development Center, is committed to the development and acquisition of advanced technologies as well as the provision of innovative and technology-driven solutions. This Center addresses the current challenges and evaluating developmental along with forward-looking plans within the upstream sector of the National Iranian Oil Company.

Goals:

– Providing methods for developing unconventional hydrocarbon resources

– Development and application of new technologies for management and increased extraction in accordance with the conditions of Iranian reservoirs.

– Adopting an approach to increasing production by solving problems such as wax and asphalt deposits, sand production, lining clogging, etc.

– Sustainability of the energy supply chain by storing natural gas and hydrogen underground

Research Institutes:

Geosciences Research Institute :

The Institute of Earth Sciences has three research groups: geology, geochemistry, and geophysics. It was established to implement study and research projects and to help resolve problems and dilemmas related to the processes of exploration, development, and exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and fields. This research institute has been able to take steps in new areas of science and technology in the field of exploration, development, and production of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources

  • Petroleum Geology Research Group
  • Geochemistry Research Group
  • Geophysics Research Group

 Petroleum Engineering Research Institute:

This research institute consists of three study and research groups in the fields of drilling and well completion technologies, reservoir production and exploitation technologies, reservoir rock and fluid technologies, and laboratory services. By employing specialized and experienced personnel and advanced laboratory equipment, this research institute has focused its most important research and service activities on research, development, and achievement of new technologies around the axes of drilling, production, recovery enhancement, and providing laboratory services by using the most advanced technologies in various fields of petroleum engineering.

  • Reservoir Rock and Fluid Research and Technologies Group
  • Reservoir Production and Efficiency Research and Technologies Group
  • Well Drilling and Completion Research and Technologies Group
  • Scientific laboratory services
Research Institute for Increased Recovery from Oil and Gas Reservoirs:

The Oil and Gas Field Recovery Research Institute, relying on a specialized and experienced human resource and with an integrated teamwork approach, conducts fundamental, technological, and applied research to meet the needs of the oil industry and overcome operational challenges in the fields of reservoir studies and characterization, oil and gas reservoir simulation, reservoir management, and recovery enhancement.

  • Reservoir Studies Research Group
  • Reservoir Engineering and Modeling Research Group
  • Reservoir Management and Field Development Research Group
  • Research Group on Methods for Increasing Reservoir Withdrawal

Upstream areas of activity

  • Studies of petrophysical and electrical properties of core samples
  • Capillary pressure and relative permeability studies
  • In-situ determination of fluid saturation using X-rays
  • Study of reservoir rock compactibility
  • Comprehensive studies of the thermodynamic properties of oil and gas reservoir fluids 
  • Laboratory studies on increasing water and gas base recovery
  • Studies of production methods in low-yield and unconventional reservoirs
  • Studies on the formation of organic solids: wax and asphaltenes
  • Optimal methods for reducing and dealing with formation damage
  • Management of unwanted fluid and solid production
  • Acidization and well stimulation studies
  • Laboratory of special stone properties
  • Laboratory of common rock properties
  • Reservoir Fluid Properties Laboratory            
  • Harvest Enhancement Studies Laboratory
  • Oil and Gas Flow Assurance Laboratory
  • Well stimulation laboratory
  • Formation Damage Laboratory
  • Drilling Cement Laboratory
  • Drilling Fluid Laboratory
  • Geomechanical Laboratory
  • Paleontology Laboratory
  • Sedimentology Laboratory
  • Geochemistry and Molecular Chemistry Laboratories
  • Kerogen purification and microscopic sample preparation laboratory
  • Organic Petrography Laboratory
  • Basin Dynamics Modeling and Hydrocarbon Systems
  • Integrated modeling of reservoir horizons and regional oil-in-place calculation
  • Study and evaluation of unconventional oil and gas resources
  • Integrated modeling of oil and gas assets
  • Comprehensive studies and presentation of hydrocarbon field development
  • Optimization of production processes based on flow assurance study and optimization of working acid packages
  • Development of cement and drilling fluid technologies based on indigenous additives
  • Studies on new technologies to increase extraction in proportion to Iran’s reservoir

 

  • Quantitative and qualitative study of gas hydrate resources in the Sea of ​​Oman – Phase 2 of the gas hydrate research project
  • Reservoir geochemical studies in Mansourabad, Nargesi, Maroon and Forozan fields
  • Advanced 3D stratigraphic modeling for evaluating the source rock of the Garou Formation (Neocumene) in the Lorestan region
  • Optimizing production processes and increasing the recovery rate of the Bibi Hakimeh field
  • Optimization of production processes and increasing the recovery rate of the Ahvaz field
  • Optimization of production processes and increasing the recovery rate of the Rag Sefid field
  • Integrated modeling of oil assets in the Timor Ab field
  • Localization and application of preformed gel ( PPG ) technology for water production management and pilot implementation in Bilal oil field
  • Identifying the source of surface leaks and providing solutions to prevent oil leaks from the Aghajari field
  • Selection of the optimal inhibitor for asphaltene and wax deposition in the Azar Joint Oil Field
  • Study and determination of rock and fluid characteristics of Yalda gas field
  • Geological studies and laboratory research of rocks, fluids and asphaltene sediments in the South Azadegan oil field
  • Laboratory study of thermodynamic properties of Bilal common gas field fluids
  • Core analysis and geomechanics studies of Kish gas field wells
  • Laboratory study of rock-fluid compatibility and ion exchange in the water injection process into the South Pars oil reservoir