Publish Date: 25 September 2012 - 10:09

Gas production will start in South Pars gas field phases 17 and 18 this winter, an official said, adding that the gas will then be injected to the national gas grid after treatment at gas processing plants of phases 15 and 16 in Assalouyeh, the onshore installations of the South Pars gas field.

Managing-Director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) Mousa Souri made the remarks adding one train of the South Pars gas field phase 12 would also come online during the current Iranian calendar year (ending on March 20, 2013).

"By launching 17 and 18 phases, we will be assured of meeting the country's gas needs during the winter," the official noted.

On the latest physical progresses of the South Pars gas field phases, Souri told Shana that 20 and 21 phases had progressed 50 and 43 percent respectively in offshore and onshore sectors.

He added that the offshore sector of phase 12 had progressed by 84 percent, and mentioned that phases 17 and 18 in the offshore sector were ahead of onshore sector in terms of physical progress.

Currently 280 million cubic meters of sour gas are being produced in 10 operating phases of South Pars gas field which will rise to 800 million cubic meters per day upon launching 19 under construction phases.

The POGC chief said the company had received the necessary permissions for issuance of 5.000 billion rial as well as 1.5 billion dollars denominated bonds for the development of South Pars projects.

Souri, who is also a deputy oil minister for planning and supervision on hydrocarbon resources, had earlier said that 8 phases of the South Pars gas field would come online up to the end of next Iranian calendar year on 20 March 2014. According to the official, launching each phase will add 30,000 billion rials to the country's revenues each year.

Up to now, 41 billion dollars of credit have been earmarked for implementation of development plans at South Pars gas field of which 17 billion dollars have been invested since last year. Total cost of South Pars gas field development is estimated at 71 billion dollars.
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