SPGC Managing Director Ahmad Bahoush told SHANA the complex’s refineries have so far sweetened 1.96 trillion cubic meters (tcm) of natural gas out of 2.34 tcm and transmitted to the national grid.

First natural gas output

The SPGC CEO said the complex’s first gas production and sweetening started at the second refinery of the South Pars (SP) phases 2 and 3 in 2001, when 50 million cubic meters (mcm) of feedstock were supplied by SP platforms and 40 mcm of natural gas were produced and sweetened a day.

According to him, 80,000 barrels of gas condensates and 400 tons of sulfur were produced per day at that time.

580 mcm of natural gas produced in 2023

Bahoush said 13 refineries of the South Pars gas field have been well developed during the 25-year period, adding feedstock the complex now receives from wellhead platforms of the SP field amounts to 650 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d) and 580 mcm/d are sweetened and produced before natural gas is transmitted to the national grid.

Foreign exchange inflow

The SPGC chief said the South Pars field accounts for 75 percent of the country’s gas production, continuing its refineries are currently producing 780,000 barrels of gas condensates, 15,000 tons of ethane, 15,000 tons of propane, 10,000 tons of butane, and 2,500 tons of sulfur daily to supply foreign exchange through exports.

Petchem complexes supplied with 31 million tons of ethane

Bahoush said 2.8 billion barrels of gas condensates have been produced, 25 million tons of propane, 16 million tons of butane and eight million tons of sulfur have been exported, and the country’s petrochemical complexes have been supplied with 31 million tons of ethane during the 25 years.

SPGC location

The South Pars Gas Complex is operating in two industrial sites in Assaluyeh and Kangan, the counties of southern province of Bushehr, along the Persian Gulf coasts.

In addition to gas production, the complex has taken social responsibility, carrying out effective measures to protect the environment, create job opportunities, hold training courses, improve public health, and foster culture.

The gas refineries are located at sites 1 and 2 in Kangan and Assaluyeh, which have 24 phases. Phases 1-10 and 15-21 are situated in Site 1 in Assaluyeh, and phases 11-14, 19, and 22-24 in Site 2 in Kangan.

South Pars gas field location

Having an area of 9,700 square kilometers, the South Pars gas field is located 3,000 meters below the seabed in the Persian Gulf and shared by Iran and Qatar.

It is the world’s largest gas reserve, located 105km off the coast of Assaluyeh port.

The part owned by Iran covers an area of 3,700 square kilometers, holding 14 trillion cubic meters (tcm) of gas and 17 billion barrels of gas condensates – eight percent of the world’s gas deposits or 50 percent of domestic gas reserves.

The field is considered as the most invaluable economic resource and national wealth of Iran.