TEHRAN – Phase 12 – the biggest phase - of Iran’s South Pars gas field has produced 14 billion cubic meters of gas during the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-September 21), the phase’s operator told IRNA.

“Currently, all units of phase 12 are operating in favorable conditions, and in the first six months of this year, this phase has succeeded in producing about 14 billion cubic meters of gas,” Mohammad-Mehdi Hashemi said.

"This refinery has also produced more than 47,200 tons of sulfur in the first six months of this year,” the official said.

According to Hashemi, the annual overhaul operations of the ninth refinery of the phase have been completed despite the complications created by the outbreak of the coronavirus, and the refinery is ready to operate at full capacity during the cold season.

In late September, the director of the refinery No. 12 of the mentioned phase had said that the mentioned refinery is receiving over 46 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas from the platforms of phases 22-24 on a daily basis and produces over 40 mcm of sweet gas.

According to Mehdi Gerami Shirazi, the refinery is also producing other by-products on schedule and according to the plans.

South Pars is divided into 24 standard phases of development in the first stage. Most of the phases are fully operational at the moment.

A total of 14 gas refineries are currently processing the gas extracted from this giant field which Iran shares with Qatar in the Persian Gulf.

South Pars covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in Iran’s territorial waters. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers, called North Dome, are situated in Qatar’s territorial waters.

The field is estimated to contain a significant amount of natural gas, accounting for about eight percent of the world’s reserves, and approximately 18 billion barrels of condensate.

EF/MA