RoydadNaft –  National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Managing Director Hamid Bord issued a stern ultimatum on Monday during an unannounced field visit to the long-delayed Kesht and Konartakhteh oil fields, ordering an immediate overhaul of the development schedule and warning that further delays will not be tolerated.

After touring facilities and reviewing progress on the ground, Bord sharply criticized the project’s significant lag behind its original timeline and demanded the establishment of precise operational frameworks and binding deadlines for every segment—from pipelines to processing plants.

“Every single component of this development plan now has a clear roadmap and non-negotiable timetable,” Bord declared, adding that independent crude oil transmission from the Kesht field will be operational by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2026)—a target he described as “fully achievable” with the new accelerated plan.

Speaking to engineers and contractors at the site in Fars province, the NIOC chief stressed that the revised schedule will be enforced through constant monitoring and immediate resolution of all outstanding issues. “This project must move forward on the basis of restructured planning and relentless oversight,” he said.

Bord’s visit—the second high-level intervention in the space of a week following his trip to the Khartang gas field—underscores the urgency Tehran is attaching to boosting domestic oil and gas output amid persistent energy shortages and looming winter demand.

In addition to technical deadlines, Bord ordered the swift identification and prioritization of corporate social responsibility obligations in the region, directing local management to address urgent community needs without delay.

The Kesht and Konartakhteh fields, part of Iran’s onshore portfolio in the oil-rich south, have suffered repeated setbacks in recent years. Monday’s directives signal a determined push to bring the fields into full production and secure independent export routes for their crude, reducing reliance on shared infrastructure.

With sanctions continuing to restrict access to technology and financing, such hands-on interventions by Iran’s top oil officials have become a hallmark of the country’s drive to maximize existing reserves through domestic expertise and intensified operational tempo.