South Pars Output at 500mcm/d
Until 2013, Iran was recovering only 280 mcm/d of gas from South Pars gas field which it shares with Qatar in the Persian Gulf. After three years, this output has surpassed 500 mcm/d. The giant reservoir will see its output grow a further 150 mcm/d after six more phases – 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 – would become operational. Then Iran will be outperforming Qatar.
In order to know more about South Pars gas production, "Iran Petroleum" has conducted an interview with Mohammad Meshkinfam, CEO of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) which administers South Pars.
Q: Since start of work at South Pars up to 2013, we have seen 10 phases come online. But over the past three years, each year one phase has come on-stream. How come these development phases are coming online after a 10-year hiatus?
A: First of all, I would like to mention that Phase 11 became operational under the 11th administration, while production from South Pars had not exceeded 280 mcm/d before 2013. No other project had come online. Iran's oil industry faced tough sanctions in 2010 and due to mismanagement and simultaneous implementation of several projects and engagement of all contractors; the South Pars development was disrupted. Meantime, procurement of commodities turned into one of our main challenges due to sanctions. But policies adopted under Minister Zangeneh at the Ministry of Petroleum for prioritizing projects and allocation of resources to projects with a higher degree of progress resulted in the materialization of this plan. Megaprojects in South Pars came on-stream one after another against the backdrop of gas consumption overweighing gas production. In the absence of South Pars development phases we would have definitely faced many difficulties.
Without exaggeration, South Pars has regained its prosperity. When the 11th administration took office, 280 mcm/d of gas was being recovered from 10 phases of South Pars. But after three years we have managed to bring the recovery capacity of this field to more than 500 mcm/d and inject 480 mcm/d from this field into national gas network. Pars Oil and Gas Company is currently supplying over 60% of Iran's gas. In other words, each phase is serving a province in the country in terms of gas supply. Until three years ago, we were facing serious gas shortages in winter. But since then, we have not faced any gas cut even with the expansion of gas supply network in the country and Turkmenistan halting gas supply to Iran. After several other phases of South Pars, i.e. phases 17-18, 19-20 and 21 come online, 150 mcm/d will be added to the South Pars gas production capacity. Then we can claim that Iran is outdoing Qatar in gas recovery [from the field they share].