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Iran has completed the construction of nearly 100 kilometers of pipeline to transport natural gas from an offshore platform in the South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf to onshore facilities for refining and supply.
The 96-kilometer pipeline. connecting Phase 11 of South Pars to onshore infrastructure. is an important component in Iran`s efforts to boost natural gas production from the world`s largest gas field it shares with Qatar.
`The construction of the pipeline commenced in the middle of June and was completed in 75 days.` Payam Motamed. director of the pipe-laying operations. was quoted as saying by NIOC`s news website.
Operations faced a critical test when the pipeline ruptured 1.4 kilometers off the Persian Gulf coast. an incident known as `wet buckle` in which the pipe is flooded.
`The challenge was dealt with within a week by operators of the pipeline project.` Motamed said. referring to Pars Oil and Gas Company. Iran Marine Industrial Company (Sadra) and Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company.
A second pipeline is expected to be laid by March next year. which will make it possible to produce 56 million cubic meters of gas per day from Phase 13. one of the 24 South Pars phases whose development started in 2010.
Phase 13 project is also aimed at producing 80.000 barrels of gas condensates per day and 400 tons of sulfur as well as 1.1 million tons of liquefied petroleum gas and 1 million tons of ethane annually to provide petrochemical plants with feedstock.
Iran is now pumping around 550 million cubic meters a day from South Pars. which. according to officials in Tehran. is level with Qatar`s output from the joint reservoir.
Plans are in place to raise gas production from South Pars to 700 mcm d in two years. a target that will take Iran`s total gas output to more than 1 billion cubic meters a day. South Pars supplies around two-thirds of Iran`s gas.
Tehran is on track to speed up the development of other remaining South Pars phases in the next few years. French energy firm Total signed a $5 billion deal in July to develop SP Phase 11. one of the least developed phases of South Pars.
Production from Phase 11 is forecast to begin in early 2021 and max out at 56 million cubic meters daily.
New supplies of the clean fossil fuel will mostly be used for heating and generating electricity at home. but will also provide an opportunity to expand Iran`s export market.
Iran reportedly delivers 30 mcm d of gas to Turkey in the northwest and 5 mcm d in the west. But additional South Pars output can take gas exports to the feasible level of 80 million cubic meters a day by ramping up deliveries to these two countries alone.
