TEHRAN - Platform 18B of Iran’s South Pars gas field (in Persian Gulf) with an extraction capacity of 500 million cubic feet (around 14.5 million cubic meters) of gas was put into operation on Monday after 62 working days to be a new record in hook-up and commissioning, Shana reported.

According to Hassan Boyeri, operator of South Pars phases 17 and 18 development projects, “Considering the installation of platform 18B in mid-August, launching this platform within this short period is a new record in offshore platform operations in South Pars which is unprecedented.”

“Start-up began after opening the well 2 of the platform; the extracted gas will soon be sent to onshore refineries to be processed,” he noted.

According to Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC), which is in charge of South Pars development phases, satellite platform 18B was built by experts from Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Co. (ISOICO) in Bandar Abbas industrial yard.

Also platform 17B of South Pars, which is the last platform of phases 17 and 18, was loaded from the Bandar Abbas yard on October 18 for delivery to its designated offshore spot.

South Pars 17 and 18 phases partly started operation in 2014 and now 37 million cubic meters of gas and 40,000 barrels of condensate per day are being extracted from these phases.

According to the managing director of POGC, production from phases 17 and 18 of the supergiant South Pars gas field has fetched the country nearly $2 billion in revenues.

Phases 17&18 are to produce 50 million cubic meters (mcm) per day of natural gas, 80,000 barrels per day of gas condensate, 400 tons a day of sulfur, one million tons a year of ethane and 1.05 million tons a year of liquefied gas.

Iran’s Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO), IOEC, National Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company (NIOEC) and Iranian Marine Industrial Company are in charge of developing phases 17&18.

EF/MA