The manner of using energy carriers and supplying them plays a key role in the country's development plans and process. One of the most important sources of energy for Iran is natural gas. It turns out that in the 21st century, gas will play an important and growing role. The continued growth of global economy requires energy resources, and various studies show that hydrocarbon resources will remain the world's major energy source until 2050. A study of the trend of these resources and their geographical distribution shows that by 2025, only five countries in the Persian Gulf, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates would remain as the main oil producers while Iran, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will be the top five gas producers.

2nd Gas Reserves

According to the latest official statistics available until the end of 2017, Iran, with about 33.2 tcm of known world gas reserves and a share of 17.2 percent, holds the second largest gas reserves in the world. Iran's gas reserves are such that in the foreseeable future, it will meet domestic demand as well as exports. According to experts, Iran’s annual gas production in the horizon of 2041 reaches 500 bcm, which is consumed in various sectors: power plants, industry and households.

Investment in the gas supply sector, a 2.5-fold increase in gas recovery from the South Pars gas field, and the connection of 96% of Iran's population to the gas network are among the most important aspects of development of gas industry in Iran. Such development has picked up speed thanks to saving liquid fuel, as well as increasing the country's gas production capacity. On the other hand, with more than 37,000 kilometers of pipelines and 86 gas compressor stations, Iran's gas transmission industry is ranked first in Asia and the Middle East and fourth in the world behind the United States, Russia and Canada.

Annual transmission of more than 280 bcm of gas is one of the gas transmission potentialities in Iran. According to official statistics, last calendar year about 852 mcm/d of sweet gas was fed into the network in a single day in March. It was easily transferred to consumers thanks to infrastructure.

Gas Transmission

Whereas about 75% of the country's gas consumption is supplied from South Pars, expansion of gas transmission capacity prevented the gas from being trapped in this joint field, and Iran was able to extract more gas than Qatar, not to mention sustainable production from this shared field. This has led to the fact that 95% of the population of Iran is now connected to the gas network and the main goals for development of this industry have been achieved, but development of gas supply continues, especially in various domestic and industrial sectors.

Safe & Uninterrupted Supply

Safe, clean and sustainable transfer of gas to consumer points is always one of the most important concerns of officials in the Iranian gas industry. To that effect, one may point to the existence of 10 gas transmission operation zones in Iran as a winning card in the development of this industry, which has enhanced its operational capacity to enhance the country's gas transmission capacity by operating new facilities, upgrading the existing gas transmission network and establishing support systems in various areas.

Among these areas, we can name District 3 of Iran's gas transmission operation as one of the old and strategic gas zones in the country, which supplies gas to Tehran as well as the six provinces: Qom, Qazvin, Zanjan, Alborz, Markazi and Semnan. Eleven compressor stations and Sarajeh gas storage facilities are located in this district. This is a unique and unprecedented feature in other areas. In the compressor stations of this district, 37 turbines have been installed. This center has four pipeline operation centers and 3,577 km of high-pressure gas transmission lines.

Rasoul Davoudinejad, director of District 3 of Iran's gas transmission operations, considers one of the most important reasons for the importance of this transmission line to be the continuous and reliable supply of gas to Tehran, the capital of Iran. If the gas consumption of these provinces increases, the gas transmission network of District 3 will use the gas stored in Sarajeh storage facility. The head of District 3 of the gas transmission ‌ said in this regard: “Sarajeh storage facility consists of two parts: injection and treatment. In the injection section, 7 months of the year, gas is stored under more than 300 bar pressure, and in the cold season, the refining section is activated, where recovery lasts five months.”

Noting that more than 104.5 bcm of gas had been transferred from this district last calendar year, he said pigging was carried out on 1,664 kilometers of pipeline in the district.

Regarding overhaul for the current calendar year he said that except for such cases as turbocompressors, the overhaul had been carried out as scheduled.

Domestic Manufacturing

Referring to the domestic manufacturing of equipment and self-sufficiency, he said: “The difficult conditions faced by the country's gas transmission industry in recent years and the lack of commitment of foreign companies manufacturing parts led to the domestic manufacturing of industrial equipment and tools in cooperation with domestic companies.”

Ali Mohammad Oroujji, director of logistics and operation in District 3, said that most equipment was being purchased on local markets.

Mohammad Khorrami Neyshabour, another official, said the approach adopted in the District 3 gas transmission zone was to use new methods of overhaul, which would comply with international standards.

He added: “In all parts of planning, inspection and implementation of overhaul, we have reached a level of maturity and evolution that most mechanical activities of pipeline overhaul are performed at minimum price and with minimum time in the gas transmission network.”

Siemens Compressors Repaired

Reza Emami, deputy head of District 3, said overhaul was being done entirely in the country. He said that for the first time 10 Siemens compressors had been repaired in District 3.

By Mahnaz Mohammadgholi

Courtesy of Iran Petroleum