TEHRAN – The output of South Pars gas refineries (in Southern Iran) is going to increase by over seven billion cubic meters (bcm) by cutting their overhauling period, Shana reported quoting the managing director of South Pars Gas Company (SPGC).

“Organized and precise planning has made it possible for us to reduce the overhauls period by 27 days in comparison to the last year.” Hadi Hashemzadeh Farhang said.  

According to the official, every year during the first six months of the Iranian calendar year (started on March 21) the refineries of the giant South Pars field go through renovation and overhauling and consequently the output falls accordingly.

“This period was 201 days last year, which is scheduled to be 174 days this year. This means an increase of 7.4 billion cubic meters in the complexes’ refining capacity.” 

South Pars refineries account for refining 74 percent of gas produced in Iran.

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

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

According to Hashemzadeh, the field’s production rose 12 percent in the past Iranian calendar year 1397 (ended on March 20, 2019) from its previous year.

The rise came as the result of putting new development phases of the giant gas field into operation which also let Iran to overtake Qatar in gas extraction from the joint field, the official further highlighted.

He said South Pars has 14 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 19 billion barrels of gas condensate, which is equivalent to 50 percent of the country's overall reserves and 8 percent of the world's gas reserves.

On March 17, 2019, phases 13, 22, 23 and 24 of developing South Pars gas field were officially inaugurated by President Hassan Rouhani. 

With the inauguration of these phases, for the first time Iran’s gas production from the giant South Pars exceeded that of Qatar.

EF/MA