SP Phase 13 Offshore Operations Receive Impetus

In line with efforts to complete the development project of South Pars Phase 13, loading operations for the field's tripod for flare stack 'D' to be transferred and installed in the Persian Gulf were successfully carried out in Iran's Offshore Engineering and Construction Company's yard in Bushehr, the director of Phase 13 development project said.

“The 403-ton tripod, that is 70 meters tall, was lifted with the help of domestic floating crane HL-5000 and was carried to its location with Artemis barge,” Payam Motamed was also quoted as saying by IRNA on Friday.

According to the official, the tripod will be installed in its specific position adjacent to Phase 13 platforms in the next few days, weather permitting. Domestic experts installed Phase 13 tripod torch for flare stack 'B' last year.

"Installing the tripod in the shortest possible time is a top priorit, as it can accelerate development of the project," Motamed added, noting that construction of Phase 13 platforms B and D have registered a work-in-progress rate of 80% and plans are in place to have them installed by March 2018.

Giving a breakdown, the official said Phase 13 venture is being developed with 90%, 81% and 78% progress in refinery, drilling and pipe laying sections respectively.

According to the official, pipe-laying operations to connect the platform of Phase 13 to onshore facilities in the port city of Asalouyeh were completed late last month.

"The construction of the pipeline commenced in the middle of June and was completed in 75 days," he said.

“The 96-kilometer pipeline, connecting Phase 13 to onshore infrastructure, was an important component in Iran's efforts to boost natural gas production from the world's largest gas field it shares with Qatar,” Motamed said, adding that a second pipeline is expected to be laid by March next year, which will make it possible to produce 56 million cubic meters of gas per day from Phase 13.

  New Jacket

Pointing to an accident that destroyed 13A platform jacket, Motamed said, "In March 2015, a Singapore-flagged oil tanker, the Alpine Eternity, inadvertently collided with and significantly damaged the offshore platform jacket, but a new jacket was installed last month."

The official added that the 72-meter-high offshore jacket, on which the main platform will be installed, is entirely manufactured by Iranian engineers at Iran Marine Industrial Company.

Highlighting that the collision had created a very dangerous situation for the wells, Motamed noted that domestic experts rebuilt the wellhead installations and drilled a series of new wells in four months.

The development of Phase 13 involves drilling 38 production wells.

Phase 13, one of the 24 South Pars phases whose development started in 2010, is also aimed at producing 80,000 barrels of gas condensate per day and 400 tons of sulfur as well as 1.1 million tons of liquefied petroleum gas and 1 million tons of ethane annually to provide petrochemical plants with feedstock.