“Iran will produce at least 700 mcm of natural gas per day from South Pars by March 2020, up 11% compared to the current output at 630 mcm/d,” Mohammad Meshkinfam was quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry’s news portal.
He said hook up operations on Deck 23 and the satellite rig 24B (installed in early November) have been carried out and the two platforms will transfer 56 mcm of sour gas to onshore refineries which will be injected into the Iran Gas Trunkline (IGAT).
IGAT is a series of nine large diameter pipelines built to supply gas from refineries in the south (Khuzestan and Bushehr provinces) across the country, according to Financial Tribune.
Three gas sweetening trains refine 36 mcm of sour gas per day in phases 22-24 onshore refinery, he added, noting that refining capacity would surpass 40 mcm/d soon. He did not elaborate.
Regarding Phase 14 he said Platform 14B is ready to produce 14 mcm of sour gas per day and will start operation as soon as onshore facilities are completed in December. Rig 14D (the last platform of the phase) is loaded and is being transferred to the destined location in the Persian Gulf.
Phase 14 is built to produce 56 million cubic meters of gas per day, 400 tons of sulfur, 2,800 tons of propane, 75,000 barrels of condensates and 2,550 tons of petrochemical feedstock.
It will help meet domestic demand and supply feedstock to petrochemical units in the Pars Special Energy Economic Zone in southern Bushehr Province.
World’s Biggest Field
South Pars is the world's largest gas field shared between Iran and Qatar, covering an area of 3,700 square kilometers of Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.
More than $72 billion has been spent on the venture since work started. The field is being developed in 24 phases.
“Developing Phase 11 (one of the least developed phases due to the new US sanctions and China National Petroleum Corporation procrastination) is also on the POGC agenda,” Meshkinfam said.
Referring to domestic potential and capability, the POGC official said Petropars, a subsidiary of NIOC, will undertake offshore drilling and move gas to onshore refineries.
The firm had a role in developing South Pars phases 4-8, Phase 12 and Phase 19, according to the company's website. It was founded in 1998 to contribute to the development of vast energy resources and is one of the leading contractors in upstream oil and gas projects.