TEHRAN (Shana) -- Under the first administration of President Hassan Rouhani (2013-2017), 10 standard phases of South Pars gas field came online.  Now efforts are under way to accelerate the development of SP13, SP14, and SP22-24 of the giant offshore gas field, which Iran shares with neighboring Qatar. Plans are under way to complete the development of SP13 and SP22-24, as well as the offshore section of SP14 before the end of the current calendar year next March. Completion of the refinery of SP14 is scheduled for next calendar year.

At the beginning of the current calendar year, SP14 started producing 500 mcf/d, which is expected to double over coming three months. Meanwhile, the refineries of SP13 and SP22-24 are expected to become operational by next March.

Iran is currently recovering 570 mcm/d of gas from South Pars, which is set to increase 120 mcm/d by March. South Pars is known to be the world's largest gas reservoir.

2nd Sweetening Train in SP13

A consortium- Petro Paydar Iranian, MAPNA and Sadra companies- is in charge of developing SP13. The development plan aims to produce 56 mcm/d of sour gas from 38 offshore wells, 50 mcm/d of sweet gas, 2,900 tonnes a day of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), 2,750 tonnes a day of ethane, 75,000 b/d of condensate and 400 tonnes a day of sulfur.

The second gas sweetening train of the refinery of SP13 has come on-stream with an output of 7 mcm/d. Once fully operational, it will process 14.2 mcm/d of gas (500 mcf/d) to be fed into national gas trunkline. The first train of gas sweetening in this refinery had come online last March.

Payam Motamed, director of SP13 development project, has said: "The first sweetening train of this project is currently treating 9 mcm/d of sour gas supplied by SP 6-8 to be fed into national trunkline."

Once the second sweetening train comes online, the refinery of SP13 would be ready to run at its half capacity in processing sour gas.

If two other sweetening trains are completed to bring the total number of processing trains to four, the final gas production capacity of SP13 will exceed 50 mcm/d. After the completion of installation operations and the startup of platforms in this phase by November, gas production from the offshore section of SP13 will start to replace sour gas supplied by SP 6-8.

SP22 Platform Installed

SP 22-24 are being developed rapidly to produce 56 mcm/d of sour gas, 50 mcm/d of methane, 2,900 tonnes a day of LPG, 2,750 tonnes a day of ethane, 75,000 b/d of gas condensate and 400 tonnes a day of sulfur.

The platform of SP 22 was recently installed in the Persian Gulf by Iranian technicians.

Farhad Ijadjoo, director of SP 22-24 project, said the platform was expected to become operational by next November.

The SP 22 platform has required 33,000 inches (diameter) of pipe laying, 82,355 meters of electricity cable and instrumentation as well as 3,830 meters of tubing. It comprises 57 mechanical and processing equipment.

It is the first platform for the production and transfer of hydrocarbon from SP22-24. This platform would help increase sweet gas production from South Pars by 14.3 mcm/d 500 mcf/d), equal to half of a standard phase output.

The three other main and satellite platforms of this phase are also under construction; the 24A satellite platform, platform 23 and 24B satellite platform are respectively 94.5%, 91.2% and 84.2% complete.

The two major platforms of SP 22 and SP 23 are connected to 24A and 24B satellite platforms by two pipelines.

The gas recovered from these platforms will be delivered to the onshore section of refinery to be processed and fed into national gas trunkline.

Platform 24A Pre-Commissioned

The SP 22 platform has 11 wells whose drilling is now over. Once seven wells have been completed and the platform has become operational, gas production will start from SP 22 platform.

Meantime, operations for the construction and pre-commissioning of Platform 24A are over. This satellite platform is expected to be installed in the Persian Gulf by next month. It is connected to the main platform of SP 22 via a pipeline measuring 18 inches in diameter. Once the 22A and 24A platforms have been fully installed, the capacity of recovery from this phase will reach 28 mcm/d.

Based on plans, platforms 23 and 24B are expected to be ready enough by October to be loaded out for installation.

Connecting Pipeline Operational

A pipeline has become operational to connect the refinery of SP 4 and SP 5 to SP 6-8 by carrying 3 mcm/d of sour gas. The capacity of pipeline transmitting sour gas pipeline from SP 6-8 to the refinery of SP 4-5 is 11 mcm/d, which may reach 13 mcm/d, if more feedstock is needed.

This pipeline was built to support offshore platforms of SP 4-5 and use the capacity of SP 6-8 and facilitate sweetening in the refinery of SP 4-5.

The connecting pipeline, which is 1,700 meters long, was ordered by the Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) and built by Sanat Saze Samin Co.

Currently the offshore section of SP 4-5 is under operation with a capacity of 56 mcm/d of sour gas from South Pars gas field.

Courtesy of Iran Petroleum