Iran Readies Next Phase of S Pars Gas Giant

Two platforms of the phase 14 of Iran's giant South Pars asset will start producing 28mn m³/d by the end of the next Iranian fiscal year (March 2017).

Drilling operations on the offshore section of the gas field have progressed by 64%, according to development project manager Morteza Zarringol, quoted by state agency Shana January 24. The onshore processing plant is half done.

Phase 14 aims to produce daily 56mn m³ of sour gas, 75,000 barrels of gas condensates as well as 1mn mt of LNG and ethane annually.

A consortium comprising Iranian companies – the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran, the National Iranian Drilling Company, the Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company, and the Iran Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries Complex Company – is implementing the project.

Meanwhile, gas sweetening units at phases 20 and 21 will be ready for the intake of sour gas in February. Also, two platforms each at of phases 17 and 18 will come on stream in the next Iranian fiscal year, which starts on March 21. Phase 19 of the gas field will start production by the end of this Iranian fiscal year.

Iran produces 420mn m³/d of gas from South Pars. With phases 14, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 under way, the total is to exceed 570mn m³/d. Iran plans to produce more than 700mn m³/d of gas from all 24 phases of South Pars by 2018. Iran needs $20bn to develop the remaining phases of the South Pars gas field, energy minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said January 11. The South Pars/North Field contains 30 trillion m³ of gas and 18bn barrels of condensate. It covers 9,700 km², of which 3,700 km² are in Iran’s territory in the Persian Gulf, divided into 24 development phases. Qatar has the rest.