Pressure reduction in South Pars Gas Field off-shore wells is expected to start from 2025 and gas production will be as low as 400 million cubic meters in 2032, down 100% compared to present levels.
Output from the giant field off the Persian Gulf is now 800 mcm/d and will reach 1.2 billion cubic meters per day by 2024 and then a downward trend would begin, Pars Oil and Gas Company said, Mehr News Agency reported.
As of 2025, production is expected to fall by 28 mcm/d that is 10 bcm per year. Estimates suggest output will be around 400 mcm/d in 2032, when consumption will exceed 1.5 bcm/d.
"Installing offshore compressor stations in the field is the only long-term viable option to control pressure reduction," POGC chief Mohammad Meshkinfam said.
Contrary to what some may perceive, the field will not be able to produce 800 mcm of gas per day (the current output) forever and the eco-friendly resource should be used as wisely as possible, he said.
Recent reports said household gas consumption has surpassed 600 mcm/d.
Referring to short-term strategies to postpone pressure reduction, he said the company has started to acidize off-shore wells and this should delay the process by three years.
"By 2025, the pressure is expected to decline by 28 mcm per year unless special platforms and compressors are installed.”
Insurmountable Problems
South Pars accounts for 80% of Iran’s gas need and decline in output will create insurmountable problems for households, industries and thermal power stations.
According to Meshkinfam, the new installations are 10 times heavier than the normal platforms which were built by local companies, “that is why relying solely on domestic firms could have sizeable risks because they have never performed such tasks.”
"Installed gas platforms weigh maximum 2,500 tons and are designed to produce 28 mcm of gas/day. However, the new platforms which will hold the compressors are estimated to weigh at least 20,000 tons.”
Regarding domestic potential and capability, the senior official said firms like Petropars, a subsidiary of NIOC, are willing and able to undertake offshore drilling and transfer gas to onshore refineries, but lack advanced technology to manufacture heavy platforms and compressors.
“Pressure reduction is inevitable. However, other gas fields in the Persian Gulf including Kish, Ferdowsi and Golshan might help compensate the loss [but not for long]."
SP reservoir pressure was higher when the first contract for development of the field was signed years ago, he recalled.
Excessive domestic demand in addition to Qatar's high gas extraction from the joint field have reduced the pressure to a great extent and further decline will affect production from operating platforms in the near future.
New Platforms
The field's production (800 mcm/d) has risen by 180% compared to 2013 when output was 285 mcm/d.
"There were 11 platforms in SP in 2013 and has now reached 35," he said, adding that the number of onshore refining units is up 150% -- from 20 in 2013 to 55 last year.
POGC, a subsidiary of NIOC, oversees development of major gas fields. Iran has close to 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves -- about 18% of the total global reserves.
South Pars is the world’s largest gas field, shared between 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 that measures 6,000 square kilometers.
