Director of onshore project of South Pars phases 6-8 at Petropars Company told Petroenergy Information Network that sweet gas was first sent to the refinery through a 12-inch pipeline on June 10.

Rahim Tabrizi noted that after making sure about lack of leakage, the units were prepared for the injection of sour gas.

The official stated that first an emergency maneuver was held on June 19 before injection of sour gas coming from phase 6, 7, and 8 of South Pars gas field.

The official stated that the gas first crossed slug catcher unit toward HP Separator and after passing through dehydration unit 104 it reached flair through Phase 6 Train 1 exit.

Sweet gas coming from South Pars phases 2 and 3 was introduced into refinery for phase 6, 7, and 8 last week to pave the way for injection of sour gas coming from phase 6 of the field.

Sour gas is very lethal due to presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas and its production needs special mechanism due to its corrosive properties.

To produce gas from phases 6, 7, and 8 of South Pars gas field, 30 deep wells have thus far been drilled to a deputy of 3,200-4,200 m at a depth of 80 m below the sea and, thus far, pipelines for phases 6 and 7 have been constructed over a distance of 105 km.

When the said phases are fully operational, Iran’s production capacity from the joint gas field, which is shared with Qatar, will increase by 104 million cu. m. per day and a total of 230 million cu. m. gas per day will be produced.

Phases 6, 7, and 8 will produce 104 million cu. m. sour gas per day for injection into Aghajari oil field through a 56-inch pipeline.

The said phases will produce 158,000 barrels per day gas condensate and 1.6 million tons per year butane and propane gas for exports and will fetch the country about four billion dollars a year.