Operator of phases 22 to 24 of Iran's South Pars gas field said two offshore platforms belonging to the projects would become operational by late January 2019, the Iranian Oil Ministry's news portal, Shana reported Tuesday.
South Pars Gas Field, located in the Persian Gulf, is the world's largest gas field which is shared by Iran and Qatar on their joint border line.
The gas reserves of the field holds about 8 percent of the total gas reserves of the world while the Iranian part of the field comprises almost one half of the domestic total gas reserves of Iran, according to Petropars -- an Iranian energy company which operates in the field.
According to developer Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC), Director of Phases 22-24 Farhad Izadjou said the phases had made 92 percent progress in both onshore and offshore sections, Shana said.
Izadjou said the onshore refining section of the phases had gained 93.4 progress while construction of offshore platforms was 94 percent complete.
Offshore drilling of the phases made 87 percent progress, and construction of pipelines for the phases is 91 percent complete, he added.
According to the report, POGC is committed to launching half of the production chain of any South Pars development project by the end of this calendar year, which began on March 21.
'Operator of South Pars phase development projects 22 to 24 said Platform 24A of Phase 24 was planned to come on stream by late December or early January,' it said.
Phases 22 to 24 aim to produce 56.6 million cubic meters of gas per day, 75,000 barrels/day of gas condensate, 400 tons of sulfur, and an annual production of 1.05 million tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and one million tons of ethane, Shana added.
China's National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will take the place of French Total in the development of Phase 11, after the French energy giant withdrew from the project 'as a consequence' of U.S. President Donald Trump’s May 8 announcement to pull out of the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran known as the JCPOA, and re-impose sanctions against Tehran.
According to a Sunday report by Iranian government news agency, ICANA, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said negotiations were ongoing with CNPC as to the timing of the project.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr