TEHRAN (PIN) – The Persian Gulf University graduates designed and built 90 percent of the Khuf Production Platform (KPP) of Salman field, said a Sadra Industrial Island, southern Iran, Saturday.

Ali Moqaddam, the manager of island and Bushehr Shipbuilding Plant, added the construction of platform helped the country save 40 percent of foreign currency.
He said the 50x52 meter KPP topside weighing about 6,300 tons was loaded by DOT company, a subsidiary of Iran Offshore Industries Company (SADRA), and would be installed by FLB124 barge at the Dalan field, using float-over method.
Moqaddam said the platform cost the country about 100 million dollars, adding EPC2 platform had the capacity to separate and refine gas that would be transferred to Sirri Island through pipes laid in the seabed.
He said only the design of the first pillar of the platform was made by the British company, John Brown, however adding Iranian experts were also able to make the design and offer shop drawing.
The official said platforms of phases 6-8 of South Pars field were made on the island, of which one had been installed and would become operational in the near future.
The offshore transportation of KPP of Salman oilfield, the largest oil topside in the Persian Gulf, started on Sadra Island Friday.
The KPP, the main one of Salman oil and gas field, and a linking bridge are transferred to Bushehr, southern Iran.
The giant topside weighs over 6,300 tons and its weight will soar to 7,500 tons when it becomes operational.
Given the weight of its jacket, the eight-legged KPP platform will reach about 10,000 tons.
The heavy platform was carried to the island on Nov. 14 and the FLB124 barge is transporting the topside to Salman field.
The topside as the largest topside project of Salman oil and gas field was loaded by Iran Offshore Industries Company (SADRA) in southern province of Bushehr.
Petroiran Development Company quoted EPC2 project manager as saying that preliminary loading operation of the platforms began Tuesday and continued without stoppage.
Hamid Mussavi explained that the loading was conducted through push-pull mechanism.
He added that the KPP topside would initially produce gas extracted from Dalan gas field wells.
About 550 million cubic feet of gas per day (CFD) is transferred to Sirri Island in the Persian Gulf through undersea pipeline, he said.
The official pointed out that the KPP platform had been installed using a float-over method while the other platforms were installed through crane-lift method.
In addition to processing some 550 million feet of gas per day, the KPP is to produce about 6,500 barrels of gas condensates daily.
The topside consists of three main docks and 107 packages, including two 7MW generators and one gas compressor.
The topside is installed according to float-over method, i.e. the vessel partly sinking in water is located at the jacket venue and carries out the installation operations.
Climatic conditions are deciding for operations and the task is done maximum one week after the transportation if the weather permits.
The major stage of installation of the heavy topside is done in two days, during which the KPP topside is connected to the LQ3 residential platform and FK-A 2 drilling platform with two bridges.
Salman field’s residential platform is the next topside that will be carried from Sadr Company’s workshop in Bandar Abbas to the field and it will be installed in the next stage.
Salman field is to have 7 topsides and 7 jackets, of which four topsides have been so far installed.
Flare topside named FPP, PP3 topside, 2SKC drilling topside, and 2SKB topside have been already installed in Salman field.
All 7 jackets have been already placed and the LQ3 residential platform accommodating 60 persons and GLP platform in the oil section of Salman field will be installed later.
Development plan of Salman oil and gas field has progressed 95 percent and will be made operational before the end of the current Iranian calendar year, March 19, 2008.
The plan aims at increase production of the field to 50,000 barrels of crude oil per day, 500 million cubic feet of gas and about 6,000 barrels of gas condensate a day.
Cumulative production from Salman oil and gas field has been reported at 187.418 million barrels and average cumulative production of the field stood at over 84,000 barrels per day.
Repairing and promoting existing installations by National Iranian Offshore Oil Company, construction of topsides and their installation by SAF and SADRA companies are major steps to be taken with regard to developing the field.
Also, basic and detailed engineering, civil operations, wiring, electricity supply, and installation of other equipment have progressed over 99 percent.
Petroiran Development Company is the main contractor for development of the field and has signed several contracts with subcontractors for installation of jackets for two gas production platforms (EPC1), manufacture and installation of all platforms and their jackets (EPC2), construction of oil and gas pipelines and construction of a 30-inch pipeline to export gas to Assaluyeh or Mobarak platform (EPC3), installing gas compression equipment on Sirri Island (EPC7), as well as overhauling platforms (EPC8).
Salman oil and gas field is located near Sirri Island, 40km west of Abu Mussa Island, having an 18 square kilometers area. While Iran has not yet begun extracting gas from Salman gas field, the United Arab Emirates is producing 540 million cubic feet per day (CFD) from the field, Fars news agency reported last July.
Salman gas field is shared by Iran and the UAE. Some 70 percent of the offshore gas field is located at Iranian waters and the remaining 30 percent in the Persian Gulf Arab sheikhdom.