TEHRAN — Phases 6-8 at the South Pars (SP) gas field, southern Iran, will be in full swing in the next Iranian year (to start March 21, 2007), director for SP phases 6-8 project at the Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) said here on Tuesday.

The project to develop the phases has so far progressed by 96 percent, Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported Mohammad-Javad Shams as saying. However, he added, the project is still three percent behind the schedule.

He explained that the first gas will be conveyed from the sea to the refinery and will be flared before the yearend.

“Water-sweeteners are operational now and the side installations are being prepared at this stage,” he further explained.

“The development project of SP phases 6-8 is worth $1.9 billion and is financed on the buy-back scheme.

Moreover, the amount of the feed for the refinery at the phases has been increased by 30 percent, which in turn, is to increase condensate production from the phases to 156,000 barrels per day from the previously planned figure of 120,000 bpd,” he stated.

Also, the production of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) from the phases will be grown by 30 percent from the current 80 million cubic meters.

Shams went on to say that the top sites at the offshore platforms of the phases are prepared to be carried to the sea, adding, the first one will be installed on 22 November. FK/ML END MNA