“Gas from the satellite platform 13C is transferred to the 13A main platform via an 18-inch pipeline and from there sent to Phase 13 refinery in Kangan through a 32-inch pipeline that extends over 100 km,” the Oil Ministry news agency Shana quoted Payam Motamed as saying.
“Platform 13C weighs 7,000 tons, the huge structure was manufactured by Iran Marine Industrial Company (SADRA) in Bushahr.
“With launch of the new platform, the capacity of rich gas recovery from offshore platforms of phase 13 has reached 42 million cubic meters per day,” he said.
The first two platforms started production in March 2018. Platforms 13B and 13D together produce 28 mcm of gas a day and the new platform adds 14 mcm/d to total capacity.
In addition to four platforms (13A, B, C and D), the phase consists of 38 wells, four pipelines stretching over 90km as well as onshore facilities, including four gas refining units.
Once deck 13A is operational, the phase will produce 56 mcm of natural gas a day. Plans call for extracting 2,900 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, 2,750 tons of ethane, 75,000 barrels of ultra-light crude, also known as condensate, and 400 tons of sulfur.
South Pars, known as North Dome in Qatar, is being developed in 24 phases. Phase 13 is in line with plans to raise natural gas output to 1.1 billion cubic meters a day by 2021.
SP is the world's largest gas field, covering an area of 3,700 square kilometers of Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.
The Iranian side of the field contains an estimated 14 trillion cubic meters of gas and 18 billion barrels of condensates.
With development programs underway across phases, Iran will produce over 750 million cubic meters of natural gas from South Pars by next March.
Iran holds the world’s second largest gas reserves after Russia. According to BP Statistical Review of World Energy, Iran has 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves or 18% of the world’s proven reserves.
Daily gas production capacity in Iran is 1 billion cubic meters. Supplies from South Pars account for nearly two-thirds of the total.