BANDAR ABBAS – In a sunny November day, some 120 Kilometers into the blue waters of Persian Gulf toward Qatari maritime boundary, the giant Oceanic 5000 vessel is waiting for the 2600-ton platform 20 of South Pars to put it on its designated spot.

The operation is estimated to take four hours, engineers, technicians and specialists from Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) and Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company (IOEC) are gathered together to mark another record in the history of Iran’s South Pars oilfield.

The vessel carrying the platform arrives at the spot at around 12 pm and about 1.5 hours later the giant platform is on its spot and everyone is congratulating the great achievement and this new record. The platform is installed 2.4 hours earlier than scheduled.

According to the IOEC project manager for South Pars phases 20 and 21, Motaleb Afshari, POGC together with IOEC have set a new record for installation of South Pars platforms in this operation.

Addressing a press conference which was held on spot, Afshari emphasized that all the work on platform 20 has been done in Iran and by Iranian experts.

“Some 200 kilometers of 32 inch pipeline and also 200 kilometers of 4inch pipeline are installed to transfer the gas extracted from this platform to the onshore refinery,” he added.

According to him this platform has the longest onshore installed pipeline among all South Pars phases and “Even the control system of the platform has been built in the country for the first time which is yet another milestone.”

*** ‘Iran capable of constructing booster compressor platforms’

Afshari further noted that South Pars phase 20 platform was built within two years, and with the experience, IOEC is now confident about its abilities to implement heavy projects and even constructing booster compressor platforms.

Complementing Afshari’s remarks Alireza Ebadi, the operator of South Pars phases 20 and 21 of development said that platform 20 will go online by the end of Iranian calendar month of Dey (January 19) adding one billion cubic feet (about 28.3 million cubic meters) of gas per day to the capacity of South Pars.

“Platform 21 which was installed on July 29, will start operation by the end of current Iranian calendar month (November 20),” he added.

According to Ebadi drilling has been one of the main challenges for POGC’s operations in South Pars field which “was extra sensitive for Phase 20 wells.”

“Drilling of all 22 wells of phases 20 and 21 has been completed and installing the pipelines is also over,” he said.

Ebadi further explained that of onshore refinery’s four sweetening trains, the first train has started operation and the second one is undergoing the final stages of completion, “it will go online by the end of current [Iranian calendar] month (November 20) and the other two are going to be prepared for receiving sour gas by the end of [Iranian calendar] months of Azar (December, 20) and Dey (January 19, 2017).”

According to Ebadi the project has witnessed a 92-percent progress and will be completed by the end of the current Iranian Calendar year (March 20, 2017).

EF/MA