Bahregan, Largest Heavy Crude Oil Terminal in Iran
With the exploration of oil in the Persian Gulf in mid 1950s, Bahregan Oil Center (BOC) located between Geneveh and Deylam ports started work as the first offshore oil zone in Iran. After the establishment of Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC), authority for the extraction, processing and export of crude oil recovered from Hendijan, Bahregansar, Soroush, Norouz and Mahshahr offshore fields was delegated to this company. Possessing technology for producing three categories of heavy crude oil and housing the world’s largest floating storage unit (FSU) are the main characteristics of BOC.
Given the potentialities in BOC and based on decisions adopted by National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the necessary installations for storing and exporting 200,000 b/d of heavy crude oil extracted from Azadegan oil field have been planned to be constructed. These installations include 3-million-barrel storage facilities, metering system for oil reception and exports, pipe laying, loading manifold system and offloading, pressure booster pumps and oil export pumps, single-point mooring (SPM) and onshore and offshore pipelines. Once these installations have been established, BOC would become the largest terminal of heavy crude oil exports in Iran.
The last storage facility, with a capacity of one million barrels, was recently inaugurated by Saeed Hafezi, managing director of IOOC. With the startup of this storage facility, the storage capacity of crude oil in BOC increased to 5.8 million barrels and this center became the largest terminal for heavy crude oil in the country. Earlier, a one-million-barrel and two 500,000-barrel storage facilities had been launched in this region.
The crude oil produced in Azadegan field is delivered to Bahregan through a 260-kilometer pipeline before being fed into two one-million barrel storage tanks (A1&A2) and two 500,000-barrel storage tanks (A3&A4).
In order to facilitate the docking of oil tankers of up to 350,000 tons, a new SPM has been installed at a distance of 35 kilometers from Bahregan. The oil held in storage facilities for exports would be transferred into the SPM through offshore and onshore pipelines.
In order to accelerate executive operations, the construction of Bahregan heavy crude oil exports terminal topped the agenda within the framework of construction of two 1-million-barrel and two 500,000-barrel storage facilities.
The 1-million-barrel facilities measure 110 meters in diameter and 18.3 meters in height. Each weighs 3,350 tons with a 950-square-meter surface. The 500,000-barrel facilities measure 75 meters in diameter and are 19.3 meters high. They weigh 1,800 tons with a 4,420-square meter surface.
The storage facilities have been constructed by Iranian contractors.
40% of Iran Exports
Hafezi told Iran Petroleum that nobody could believe that Iran’s nascent petroleum industry would be able to build even a small jacket, but today “we are building all platforms, not to mention most important events happening in the petroleum industry.”
Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Revolutionary Council declared all production sharing contracts null and void. Offshore oil production has since been conducted by IOOC.
IOOC-run fields currently account for 40% of Iran’s oil exports. IOOC production has never halted and its oil has had its special buyers.
Hafezi said BOC and its oil enjoys unique properties.
Irreplaceable Oil
Hafezi said: “Saudi Arabia can supply oil to replace Iran’s heavy crude oil and Kuwait can supply oil with the same quality as Iran’s light crude oil, but the oil produced by IOOC has no substitute and it has its special and permanent customers.”
Bahregan comes second after Kharg in terms of level of oil production. Many believed that offshore production should be cut because of high costs.
Hafezi said three main factors – contractor, outsourcer and consultant – can operate a project effectively.
“With the completion of crude oil storage enhancement in BOC, the storage capacity in this region has increased 3 million barrels,” he said, adding that more than 400,000 b/d of water is being injected into Iran’s offshore fields.
Hafezi said 20% of IOOC oil is produced by downhole electric pumps and 15% through gas lift.
Loading on Persian Gulf Vessel
Transfer of crude oil to Persian Gulf Exports Vessel has begun in Bahregan center which is run by IOOC. So far, 250,000 barrels of crude oil have been stored in this vessel and in total 600,000 barrels are envisaged to be stocked. Then, a South Korean company will launch the facility.
Oil recovered from Soroush and Norouz fields is also being loaded into Persian Gulf vessel and more than 70,000 b/d of crude oil is being transferred into this vessel.
Tests are under way on the reservoir, metering equipment and pumps. Persian Gulf Vessel is to replace Surena vessel in the future. Hafezi said Surena is currently continuing its work, but added that any decision for it to continue to work in the future would be up to NIOC.
It would be also possible to export the crude oil stored in Persian Gulf Vessel.
The capacity of Persian Gulf Vessel’s terminal is 2.2 million barrels and is equipped with advanced metering systems. This vessel, which exports heavy crude oil produced in Soroush and Norouz fields, has highest technology in terms of machinery and capacity.
IOOC has in recent years experienced the designing and operation of Surena vessel and it can now deal with Persian Gulf Exports Terminal most effectively.
Oil produced from Soroush and Norouz fields has long been stored in Surena before being loaded. Now, everything will be shifted to Persian Gulf vessel.