The construction of the second phase of Shourijeh gas storage facility in Sarakhs County, Khorasan Razavi Province, started at the weekend to help ensure energy security in the cold seasons of the year and gas grid stability in eastern regions of Iran, managing director of Iran Gas Engineering and Development Company said.
“The second phase of the project seeks to double the facility’s storage capacity from the 2.25 billion cubic meters now to 4.5 bcm,” the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana quoted Reza Noshadi as saying.
“As part of the project, 28 oil wells will be drilled, two dehumidification units will be constructed, wellhead facilities and pipelines will be put in place, a gas collection and distribution center will be set up and gas injection facilities will be established,” he added.
Noshadi noted that the project, which is expected to be completed in three years, is estimated to cost around $673 million.
“Upon the launch of the project, the amount of natural gas injection to Shourijeh will increase from 10 million cubic meters per day to 20 mcm a day,” he said, adding that the total withdrawal from Shourijeh that is now about 20 mcm/d, will reach 40 mcm/d with the completion of the phase.
As a routine annual procedure, gas is injected into reservoir in the Iranian year’s first eight months (March 21-Nov. 21) and used in the last four months.
MAPNA Group has been tasked with the development of Shourijeh gas storage facility by the Iran Gas Engineering and Development Company.
Due to the need to supply gas in the north and northeast in the cold seasons when consumption rises considerably, the development project has been planned to increase the capacity of Shourijeh storage facility.
Currently, Shourijeh and Sarajeh reservoirs in the respective northeast and central regions are the only natural gas storage facilities.
As a leading gas producer, Iran is expanding its underground gas storage capacity with plans to increase the capacity of Sarajeh and Shourijeh.
Plans are also underway to add five storage facilities to secure stable gas supply, especially in the cold season.
Iran Gas Engineering and Development Company is conducting technical research in five new areas.
Most oil reservoirs are not suitable for storing gas and this explains why research on other reserves, whose geological formations are made up of salt and water, is on the IGEDC agenda. Building new gas reservoirs is a priority of the Oil Ministry.
