TEHRAN – The operator of phase 19 of Iran’s South Pars gas field said overhaul operations for the field’s 10th refinery, which processes the gas from phase 19, are going to be started on June 9, IRNA reported.

The mentioned operations are expected to take 23 days to be completed, Soheil Rafiei said.

According to the official, the field’s offshore facilities overhaul program is aimed to maintain the production levels in the current year which has been called the year of “Surge in Production” by Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyed Ali Khamenei.

The official noted that changing the catalytic bed of the first gas train, repairing the interior cover, and inspecting the pre-flash drum are among the activities planned for this period.

“Inspection and cleaning of the re-boilers of the regeneration tower, inspection and minor repairs of the burners, internal repair of the sulfur tank, elimination of leaks from the header steam lines, and solving mechanical problems of various valves are also planned for this year's overhaul program,” he added.

Rafiei also mentioned cleaning and inspection of various types of drums as another important part of the overhaul program and said: repairing the internal cover and inspection of DSO separator, inspection of heat exchangers, preventive repairs of electrical items and precision instruments that cannot be done in normal condition are also some of the most important activities that will be carried out in the major repairs of the current year in collaboration with exploitation, overhaul, engineering, technical inspection and safety units.

South Pars is the world’s largest gas field, covering an area of 3,700 square kilometers of Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.

The giant 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.

The field is divided into 24 standard phases that send the extracted gas to 14 refineries on the shore.

EF/MA