Iran will inaugurate the biggest phase of the South Pars field, before the end of the current Iranian year, South Pars officials said on Sunday.
Phase 12 will become operational before the 20th of March and will be launched in an official ceremony held some time next week in the presence of President Hasan Rohani.Â
Speaking of the new phase, the managing director of South Pars Oil and Gas Company Ali Akbar Sha’banpour, said, “Its area, and respectively production capability, are three times bigger than the regular phases of the offshore field.”
Sha’banpour said that Phase 12 exploits 3bn feet of sour gas from the seabed, equal to 84mn cubic meters, and after separating its gas derivatives, injects some 75mn cubic meters of sweet gas to the trans-Iranian gas pipeline network.
Three main derricks and one satellite derrick have been installed for the Phase 12, which together will transfer that volume of gas to the refineries in the Iranian mainland.
The project took nine and a half years to complete, Sha’banpour added.
According to the official, Iran’s current production from the field stands at 15bn cubic metres, while Qatar produces 22bn cubic feet.
Phase 12 is expected to start producing at least 500 mcf/d of gas before the cold season starts for injection into the national pipeline. The high-pressure flare of the refinery of this phase became operational in August.
Gas produced from the five wells of this field was delivered to an onshore refinery in December.
By drilling 12 wells, one billion cubic feet a day of sour gas is expected to be delivered to the onshore refinery. This amount of production started with 500 mcf/d.
The steam production, air compressors and gas receiving units are now operational. Other sections like water desalination and wastewater treatment units are also ready for inauguration.
Phase 12 of South Pars gas field is under development to produce 75mn cubic meters (mcm) of rich gas for delivery to national gas pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plants.
Out of this amount, 25 mcm will be injected to national pipeline and the rest will go for LNG production. This phase is also expected to produce 120,000 b/d of gas condensate and 750 tons a day of sulfur.
The main contractor in the development of Phase 12 of South Pars is Tehran based Petropars company. The onshore installations of this phase are 70km away from the city of Assalouyeh located on the coast of the Arabian Gulf.
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