Azerbaijan , Baku, Feb. 22 / Trend, A.Yusifzade /
According to Shana drilling operations started in the second position at the South Pars gas field phases 17 and 18.
During the operations, Iranian contactors plan to drill eleven new wells. Under the planning of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), initial production from the phases 17 and 18 will be started before the end of next Iranian calendar year ending March 20,2012.
The Pars Oil and Gas Company's public relations department reported of 37 percent progress in drilling operations in the phases 17 and 18 amid drilling 16 thousand meters wells over the first step.
Newly joined drilling rig is a sophisticated one so that it is predicted to help to progress in drilling that in turn can bring about gas production from the first wells in November 2011.
Based on a report by POGC Planning and Control Department, engineering and purchasing of the related gas pipelines have progressed by 70 percent and setting up of the onshore installations by 58 percent.
Iran's ministry of petroleum has set starting early production from the under construction phases of the South Pars gas field phases 15 and 16 and 17 and 18 as its priority in the process of the South Pars gas field development.
A report on the progress of the executive operations by Iranian contractors shows that by launching offshore and onshore installations of the South Pars phases 17 and 18, initial gas production will come on stream next year.
17th and 18th phases of the South Pars gas field are nearest to the neighboring county Qatar border in the Perian Gulf waters.
Meanwhile by arriving two ships carrying essential equipments into the Assaluyeh Port, purchasing and providing the needed goods have progressed considerably.
The South Pars field is a gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. It is the world's largest gas field and is shared by Iran and Qatar. According to the International Energy Agency, the field holds an estimated 50.97 trillion cubic meters (1800 trillion cubic feet) of in-situ gas and some 50 billion barrels of condensates.
Iran holds the world's second-largest reserves of natural gas and the third-largest reserves of oil.
According to the Iranian Oil Ministry, Iran's oil and gas recoverable reserves 151 billion barrels and 33.1 trillion cubic meters respectively.