It is reported that the export of ultra heavy crude oil produced in these fields purchased earlier by Reliance Industries, India's top private oil company has been halted. About 136,000 barrels of such oil are produced there mostly for export.
Soroush and Norouz oil fields are respectively located 82 km southwest and 93 km northwest of Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.
Based on the information provided by the officials of the Oil Ministry, Iran's ultra heavy crude is bought $15 less than the price of heavy crude at international markets. Through buying such oil from Iran and transforming it to heavy crude, Reliance Industries was making a good profit each year. But this year the company did not renew its deal with Iran reportedly because they didn't reach to an agreement on the price.
As oil technology experts point out, changing the ultra heavy crude to the heavy and light ones demands a sophisticated technology, but it is possible to inject gas or naphtha to the former and transform it to heavy crude which is purchased $15 more at the global market. Iran possesses both naphtha and gas to carry out the process and gain more benefit from its crude exports.
The method may also be adopted in oil tankers berthing at Assaloyeh port in southern Iran which doesn't require much time and a sophisticated technology.
Actually within the last three years, Iran could gain $2.203 billion more from Soroush and Norouz oil fields if the oil officials had taken such action. As 136,000 barrels of oil are produced there a day, with the estimation of $15 difference between the prices of heavy and ultra heavy crudes, Iran has lost $2.04 million per day which in three years has reached above $2 billion.
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