South Pars 7-Month Gas Output at 94 bcm
In the last calendar year to March 2017, Iran's accumulated gas production from the supergiant offshore South Pars gas field reached 155.23 bcm. During the first seven months of the current calendar year, Iran recovered nearly 94 bcm of gas from the gas field shared with neighboring Qatar. Roughly 75 bcm of the gas produced this year has been sweetened at South Pars Gas Complex (SPGC).
Abdorrahman Salehi, deputy head of dispatching at SPGC, says enhanced production from South Pars is one of significant achievements of the Islamic Republic.
After the first administration of President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013, gas production from South Pars has increased 53%.
Yahya Rashidi, deputy managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) for operations and logistics, said POGC's share of the South Pars output would exceed 75% once the offshore phases of South Pars became operational.
570 mcm Up to March 2018
The rich sour gas produced from the 14 platforms of phases 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 has reached 135.6 bcm. By next winter, production from newly launched development phases of South Pars would reach 272.9 mcm/d.
Currently, nine gas refineries are producing gas at SPGC, each responsible for receiving flare gas from each phase of the gas field. These refineries receive enriched sour gas and convert it to sweet gas and other products.
During the first seven-month period of the current year, production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane and butane each reached 1.336 million tons, while gas condensate production was recorded at 114.08 million barrels. Furthermore, over 1.303 million tones of ethane was supplied to Jam, Kavian and Morvarid petrochemical plants.
So far, 25 gas platforms have become operational at South Pars. As overhaul operations are about to finish, the platforms are expected to produce gas at full capacity before winter.
Plans are under way for the South Pars output to reach 570 mcm/d before the current calendar year ends.
Rashidi said accumulated gas production from South Pars reached 1,147 bcm at the end of the first half of the Iranian calendar year. He added that the South Pas accumulated output would increase significantly in coming years as some development projects would become operational over two years.
He also gave a positive assessment of the quality, pace and precision of offshore operations at South Pars, saying: "Given the easing of restrictions and improvement of international atmosphere with regard to oil and gas industry, foreign companies have expressed more willingness for cooperation in the South Pars projects, while the quality and pace of activities, installation of equipment and spare parts have increased thereby leaving positive and favorable impacts on production enhancement and sustainability."
Sweet Gas Injection to National Trunkline
While gas production enhancement continues in South Pars incessantly, remaining phases of this massive gas field are being developed. For instance, high-pressure and medium-pressure flares at the refinery of Phase 13 were recently launched. With the finalization of the process of completion of control and safety system of the refinery, the first gas sweetening train is expected to come online next February so that sweet gas would be injected to the national gas trunkline.
Payam Motamed, manager of South Pars Phase 13 development, says: "Given the coincidence of drilling, construction of platforms, and onshore and offshore pipe laying, Phase 13 would become fully operational next calendar year."
Phase 13 of South Pars is under development to produce 56 mcm/d of sour gas, 50 mcm/d of sweet gas, 2,900 tonnes a day of liquefied petroleum gas, 2,750 tonnes a day of ethane, 75,000 barrels a day of condensate and 400 tonnes a day of sulfur.
Phase 22 Flare On
While operations are under way at a high pace for the development of Phase 13 of South Pars, the flare of Phase 22 was recently turned on after sweet gas was supplied by Iran Gas Trunkline 6 (IGAT 6).
Farhad Izadjou, manager of Phases 22-24 of South Pars, said these phase require the startup of utility services including nitrogen unit and control rooms ITR7, IRT11 and ITR13.
The first train of sweet gas production at the refineries of Phases 22-24 of South Pars is expected to become operational by next March through using sour gas from Phases 6-8 of the gas field.
Phases 22-24 of South Pars are expected to produce 56 mcm/d of rich gas, 75,000 b/d of gas condensate, 1.05 million tonnes a year of liquefied petroleum gas, 1 million tonnes a year of ethane to feed petrochemical plants and 400 tonnes a day of sulfur.