Iran has launched the second drilling rig in the 17th and 18th phases of the South Pars gas field, bringing to nine the total number of rigs in South Pars, Press TV reported.
The drilling operation began by Iranian contractors, Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The development plan of the 17th and 18th phases is aimed at producing 50 million cubic meters of natural gas per day.
The POGC, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, is tasked with the development of South Pars and North Pars gas fields.
The South Pars gas field is located in the Persian Gulf in the border zone between Iran and Qatar. The field's reserves are estimated at 14 trillion cubic meters of gas and 18 billion barrels of gas condensates.
The process of developing gas production projects in South Pars Special Economic Energy Zone is divided into 28 phases.
The gas field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, of which 3,700 square kilometers (South Pars) is in Iranian territorial waters and 6,000 square kilometers (North Dome) is in Qatar's territorial waters.