Plans to launch five more South Pars phases by the end of the current Iranian year (started March 21) are high on the agenda of the National Iranian Oil Company, managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company said on Thursday.
“To complete phases 17 to 21, plans call for installing six platforms by January 2017, which will be a new record compared to 2014 when four platforms were installed,” Ali Akbar Shabanpour was quoted as saying by Shana.
Underscoring the fact that quality-wise, the platforms made in Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Company are all compatible with international standards and can compete with foreign brands, the official added, “Iranian experts have proved to be able to construct the most complicated platforms.”
According to the official, many of the equipment, including wellhead components, pumps, compressors and pipe are manufactured domestically.
"As soon as the said phases go on stream, natural gas extraction from joint fields will increase by 142 million cubic meters per day to reach 572 mcm," he said, noting that the current daily extraction from the gas field exceeds 430 mcm.
Priority
Pointing to the priority of phases 17 and 18 compared to that of 14, Shabanpour said the implementation of Phase 14 is already behind schedule, because of which its platforms will replace platforms 17B and 18B after small technical alterations.
"The drilling operation at 11 wells of platform 18B has ended and preparations are made to install it. Moreover, phases 20 and 21 platforms will be transferred to their locations next week," he said.
"Phases 17 and 18 are designed to produce 50 million cubic meters of gas per day. So far, 22 wells have been drilled in the offshore sector of the two phases to deliver natural gas to onshore processing facilities through a 220-kilometer pipeline."
Hassan Bouyeri, director of South Pars phases 17 and 18, said the two phases have made more than 90% physical progress and all four refining units are now operational, producing close to 30 mcm per day of natural gas.
Iran is pressing ahead with plans to raise gas production capacity, as it prepares for the full launch of two more phases of South Pars Gas Field later this year.
South Pars is the world's largest gas field shared by Iran and Qatar, covering an area of 3,700 square kilometers of Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. It adjoins Qatar’s North Field, which measures around 6,000 square kilometers.
