31 October 2007 - 12:39
  • News ID: 117900
Over 3bn Cu. M. of Sour Gas Derived from SP Deposit in 1 Month

TEHRAN – Some 3.187 billion cubic meters of sour gas was extracted from wells of phases 1-5 of South Pars (SP) field in the Persian Gulf in the Iranian calendar month of Mehr (Sept. 23 to Oct. 23), undergoing refining process in refineries 1-3 of South Pars Gas Complex Company (SPGC).

Head of SPGC’s Gas Production and Transfer Dept. Mohammad-Reza Joulaei told reporters Wednesday, “Of the volume, 2.931 billion cubic meters was sweetened and injected into national grid.”

He added 45 million cubic meters of sweet gas was transferred to Pars Petrochemical Complex and 6,880 tons of ethane was transported to Jam Petrochemical Complex in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ).

According to the official, South Pars refineries have yielded 758 thousand cubic meters of gas condensates, equaling 4.767 million barrels, during the month-long period, of which 444 thousand barrels were dispatched to Nouri (Borzouyeh) Petrochemical Complex.

“The first three refineries of SPGC produced 11,463 tons of sulfur, 50,843 tons of propane, and 36,509 tons of butane within the period,” Joulaei added.

He said that Iran had extracted 22.016 billion cubic meters of sour gas from phases 1-5 in the first six month of the Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2007).

The SPGC official added the figure showed a seven percent rise when compared to that of the corresponding period in its preceding year.

“Of the volume, 20.212 billion cubic meters was sweetened and injected into the national gas grid,” he said.

During the first half of the previous Iranian year, 20.495 billion cubic meters of gas was produced by the South Pars field, of which 18.811 billion cubic meters was refined by South Pars Gas Complex Company and injected into the cross-country pipelines, Joulaei said.

The official added 399.069 million cubic meters of gas was also transferred to Pars Petrochemical Complex in the first half of the current Iranian year, indicating a 52 percent growth from last year.

Production control manager said Pars Petrochemical Complex received 222.08 million cubic meters of gas in the first half of last Iranian year.

According to him, 5.193 million barrels of gas condensates was produced by refineries of South Pars in the first six months of current Iranian year while the output of the first three refineries of South Pars Gas Complex Company in the similar period last year stood at 4.903 million barrels.

The two figures showed that this year’s production rose five percent, added the official.

The refineries also yielded 243,555 tons of propane and 172,184 tons of butane in the first half of this year, said Joulaei, adding propane and butane outputs amounted to 246,781 and 196,373 tons in the similar period last year respectively.

He said the drop in propane and butane production was caused by the overhaul of phases 4 and 5, however adding the outputs of two gas liquids would surpass last year’s by the end of current Iranian year, March 19, 2008.

“Refineries of South Pars field have also produced 107,624 tons of sulfur in the first half of current Iranian year (March 21 to September 22, 2007), up five percent from the output of similar time last year,” said the manager, adding the figure in the six months of previous year hit 102,247 tons.

Joulaei said 16.98 million cubic meters of gas had been carried to the Phase 6 of South Pars field this year to help put it into operation.

According to the plan, 28 gas refineries, 25 petrochemical projects, and three liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants will be constructed in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone.

Phases 1-5 have so far come on stream and phases 6-8 will become operational by the upcoming winter.

When phases 6-8 are put into operation, 104 million cubic meters of sour gas will be pumped to Khuzestan Province through a 56 inch pipeline per day to inject into Aghajari oilfield.

Phases 9 and 10 have been designed to produce two billion cubic feet of gas a day. The two phases are to yield 50 million cubic meters of methane, 2,600 tons of ethane, 1,200 tons of butane, 2,000 tons of propane, 77,000 tons of gas condensates, and 400 tons of solid sulfur daily.

South Pars is the world’s largest gas field, holding almost half of Iran’s gas reserves.

Located in the strategic Persian Gulf, South Pars -- the largest known gas reserves -- is shared between Iran and the tiny emirate of Qatar. It contains 1,900 TCF of in place gas and 56 billion barrels of in situ condensate in the shared region.

Production started from South Pars after commissioning of Phase 2 in Dec. 2002.

News ID 117900

Your Comment

You are replying to: .
0 + 0 =