Programs are underway to increase output from South Pars Gas Field phases 20 and 21. Work is expected to be completed in the second half of this year, managing director of the 8th South Pars Refinery said.
This is one of the major programs of the refinery, which receives natural gas from the two phases. When ready, production will rise by 110%, Hadi Chabok was reported as saying by ILNA.
Each of the phases now produce 52 million cubic meters of gas, 75,000 barrels of gas condensate and 400 tons of sulfur daily. One million ton of liquefied natural gas and 1 million tons of ethane are also produced annually.
The giant South Pars field has 24 phases and is located in the Persian Gulf straddling the maritime border between Iran and Qatar. It spreads over 9,700 square kilometers, of which 3,700 km is in Iran.
The Iranian side of the field contains an estimated 14 trillion cubic meters of gas and 18 billion barrels of condensates.
Phase 11 Delayed
Construction of the platform jacket for Phase 11 was completed two months ago, but it has not been loaded due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, which has suspended work in many industries, managing director of Petropars Group said.
The jacket is ready for loading in Qeshm Island and will be shipped in early May, Hamid-Reza Masoudi said, hoping that drilling wells will start by summer.
Phase 11, which is the last phase of the giant South Pars field, straddles the Iran-Qatar joint water frontier.
The phase is planned to be developed in two integrated and consecutive stages. Stage one will consist of drilling 30 wells plus fabrication and erection of two production platforms.
Each stage will contain 15 wells and produce 56 million cubic meters of gas per day plus 75,000 barrels of gas condensate.
Increasing Consumption
Increase in gas output will help meet increasing domestic demand in different sectors. Gas consumption across the country increased 56 mcm between March 20 and April 19 compared to the same time last year, the dispatching director at the National Iranian Gas Company said.
“Domestic and commercial sectors consumed 349 mcm of natural gas in the month while major industries and power plants used 122 mcm and 142 mcm per day,” Mehdi Jamshidi-Dana,
The rise in consumption is attributed to the unprecedented cold weather, which was unusual for that time of the year.
Domestic gas consumption has been rising every year in the cold seasons when temperatures fall and subscribers turn on their heating devices running mostly on gas.
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.
