The platforms of phases 20 and 21 of South Pars have each capacity to process 1 bcf/d of gas. The development projected envisaged for Phases 20 and 21 was recently reported to be complete at 90%. The two phases are expected to produce 50 mcm/d of sweet gas for domestic consumption, recover 1 million tons a year of ethane for feeding petrochemical industries, recover 1.05 million tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for export, produce 75,000 b/d of desulfurized and stabilized gas condensate for exports and recover 400 tons a day of sulfur for export.
Phases 17&18 Running at Full Capacity
Phases 17&18 of South Pars, whose main platforms and refinery became operational last year, is set to reach its maximum production capacity this year as its satellite platforms, constructed by Iran Marine Industrial Company (known as Sadra), are to be installed. Platform 18B was loaded out in Bandar Abbas Yard last July, and was installed the following month. This platform became operational in December with a capacity of 500 mcf/d.
Platform 17B, which is the second and the last platform in Phases 17&18, was loaded out in October. Once it becomes operational next March, 300 mcf/d of sour gas would be added to the South Pars output.
Chain completion in Phases 17/18 of South Pars was done under the aegis of senior oil industry managers. Sadra was initially supposed to build satellite platforms for these phases, but the project was halted due to certain problems. Since the construction of platforms of Phase 14 at ISOICO yard was ahead of refinery construction, it was decided that two satellite platforms of Phase 14 replace Sadra's two satellite platforms. Sadra is building two substitute platforms for Phase 14. Phases 17&18 came partly into operation in January 2015 and currently all four trains of gas treatment at the refinery are functioning. The third and the fourth trains receive their gas from sea and Platforms A17 and A18. The first and the second trains would keep receiving gas from phases 6 to 8 before 17B and 18B have been launched. With the construction of Phases 17 and 18 of South pars, 56 mcm/d of gas, 80,000 b/d of gas condensate, 400 tons a day of sulfur as well as one million tons a year of ethane and 1.05 million tons a year of LPG (propane and butane) would be produced.
Phase 19 Output Crosses 49 mcm/d
Hamid-Reza Masoudi, manager of Phase 19 development of South Pars, announced enhanced gas recovery from this phase, saying: "By commissioning Platform 19A, gas recovery from this phase has reached 42 mcm/d."
Currently, around 42 mcm/d of rich sour gas is being recovered from South Pars through SPD2, 19A and 19C platforms before being sent to the refinery of Phase 19. So far more than five million barrels of gas condensate has been produced at Phase 19.
Three sweetening trains, as well as four refineries are running at full capacity at Phase 19. After refining process is over, 37 mcm/d of sweet gas would be injected into Iran Gas Trunkline 6 (IGAT-6). The record has been smashed for duration of installation, startup and gas production from Platform 19A during 70 days. Three sweetening trains also came on-stream over seven months. Such records were unprecedented ever since South Pars underwent development.
According to plans, the last platform at Phase 19, with a capacity of recovery of 14 mcm/d (500 mcf/d) is to be loaded out in January at Iran Offshore Engineering and Construction Company (IOEC) Yard in Khorramshahr. It would be installed in March and one week after installation arrangements would be ready for operation.
When the administration of President Hassan Rouhani took office in August 2013, South Pars was producing 240 mcm/d of gas. This figure reached 360 mcm/d last March as phases 12, 15 and 16&17 came online.
Five phases of South Pars - phase 19 which is equivalent to two standard phases, Phases 20 and 21 and remaining parts of Phases 17 and 18, are to come on-stream this year. With the completion of these projects by year-end, total gas production from South Pars gas field would reach 530 mcm/d to 550 mcm/d. In addition to generating revenue, that amount of output would feed refineries and petrochemical plants across the country.
The current capacity of gas recovery from South Pars gas field has exceeded 500 mcm/d. The five aforesaid phases have a capacity of 140 mcm/d.
All these phases are expected to become operational before presidential elections next year. Phases 11, 13, 14 and 22-24 would be assigned to the next administration for full development. Except for Phase 11, the others are more than 75% complete.
All phases, except for Phase 11, are expected to become operational by March 2018. A heads of agreement (HOA) was recently signed with a consortium of France's Total, China's CNPC and Iran's Petropars for the development of Phase 11.
If gas price is set at 25 cents and gas condensate at $50, full development of South Pars would earn the country $272 million a year in revenue, or $90 billion a year.