The renovation of the Phase 16 pipeline was placed on the agenda as one of the industry’s most strategic projects, given the condition of the old pipeline connected to the platform. The new line not only restored steady production but also brought significant technical and managerial achievements for Iran’s oil and gas sector.

In an interview with Shana, Mohammadreza Atefepour, the project manager, discussed the importance of the project, safety and technical challenges, innovative approaches to pipeline safety, and localization achievements.

Why was the new pipeline project for Phase 16 undertaken, and what were its main objectives?
The old 32-inch offshore pipeline of Phase 16 repeatedly suffered from failures and production shutdowns over the years. Each shutdown required considerable time to restore operations, resulting in lost gas production from South Pars. Therefore, a decision was made to construct a new pipeline, which was successfully completed thanks to the efforts of Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company specialists and staff.

What are the main specifications of the new pipeline compared with the old one?
The new 32-inch pipeline spans 115 kilometers, beginning at the SPD16 platform riser and ending at the sixth refinery. The offshore section is 110.4 km and the onshore section 4.6 km. The offshore line and the new valve pit were connected in 1402 under an early production scheme. The offshore segment was laid by the Sea Master pipelaying vessel and, as the last pipeline between South Pars and the Assaluyeh refineries, it intersects with 30 existing pipelines on the seabed. At the end, it was linked to the SPD16 riser with a 110-meter, four-piece spool—the largest 32-inch spool in South Pars.

Since the onshore pipeline was still under construction at the time, the new offshore line and valve pit were connected to the old onshore pipeline to enable early production starting October 2023. With the completion of the 4.6 km onshore pipeline between the new valve pit and the sixth refinery, the project came fully online in August 2025, completing the final link between the SPD16 riser and the refinery.

What were the biggest challenges during execution, and how were they overcome?
We faced several categories of challenges, including harsh environmental conditions (heat, humidity, high groundwater levels), multiple pipeline crossings in the expanding Assaluyeh area, working near active lines, constructing a third 32-inch pipeline at the sixth refinery, and strict welding requirements for thick-walled pipes. One of the toughest issues was removing the old onshore line from service and commissioning the new one within a very limited shutdown period.

All safety operations, disconnecting the old line from the new valve pit and refinery, and connecting the new onshore line were completed in just two weeks, without delay, before production resumed in August 2025. Experience from the early production offshore pipeline commissioning in 1402 was critical to success.

Pipeline safety operations are often risky. How did you manage this process without production losses or accidents?
Pipeline safety means removing all gas, including toxic hydrogen sulfide and flammable gas, down to zero. In 1402, a full evacuation of the offshore-to-onshore pipeline was carried out using a creative safety method. In 2025, we applied a new innovative approach: only the 5 km onshore section of the old pipeline was evacuated, while the offshore section remained gas-filled. Despite the high risk, precise design and creative methods ensured safe completion without accidents. This was the first time such a method was implemented in Iran, proving local capacity for innovation in sensitive projects. Both safety operations were successfully executed without incident, confirming the effectiveness of the engineering practices used by the Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company.

Since such projects are often carried out by international contractors, what message does it send that this project was completed entirely by domestic teams?
From design to procurement and execution, everything was carried out by Iranian specialists. The main and subcontractors were domestic, with most workers being young and local. Multiple technical workshops were held to design innovative methods, many of which can be applied to future projects. This demonstrates that full localization of such large-scale projects is achievable in Iran.

How was the cooperation with the sixth refinery management, given that it remained in operation throughout the project?
The work was performed while the sixth refinery was fully operational, with high safety sensitivity. The refinery managers fully cooperated, holding joint meetings and providing solutions, which allowed the project to proceed without production interruption or accidents.

If you had to summarize the project and its significance, what would you emphasize?
I would like to thank the project employer, Pars Oil and Gas Company, the management of the sixth refinery, the shared facilities unit of South Pars Gas Complex, and all my colleagues in Phase 16, engineering, procurement, quality control, project control, safety, security, and the subcontractor Nilsan Kish. This achievement is the result of tireless work by young, skilled Iranian specialists. Many of those who contribute to developing the oil industry remain unrecognized, but their work is enduring. The new Phase 16 pipeline is one such national project—one that has guaranteed stable gas production for the country.