Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 3
By Emil Ilgar – Trend:
Iran is preparing to double ethane production to 6 million tons per year (mn t/y) by completing five phases of South Pars gas field soon, Mehr reported March 3.
Phases 17-21 of South Pars already operate with half capacity, but the total ethane output of phases 1-10, 12, 15 and 16 as well as the mentioned semi-operational phases stands at 3 mn t/y, the report said.
According to the report, after phases 17-21 become fully operational, the field’s ethane output will reach 6 mn t/y.
According to an official document prepared by Oil Ministry and seen by Trend, the country’s petrochemical plants were supplied with 3.178 mn t of ethane during 2016, about two times more than in 2015.
The document says the feedstock shortage shares 44 percent in Iran’s idle petrochemical capacity, which stands at above 13 percent of nominal capacity.
Iran’s nominal petrochemical production capacity stands at 62 mn t/y, but its actual production volume is expected to reach 54 mn t in the current fiscal year (started on March 21, 2016).
Mehr also reported that Iranian petrochemical plants need at least 5.25 mn t/y of ethane and the volume will increase by 4-4.1 mn t/y in coming years.
Iran plans to bring phases 17-21 to full operation in coming months and the remaining phases will be operational in coming years.
Iranian side of South Pars, jointly owned with Qatar, is divided to 24 phases and contains 14 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.
The field, after becoming fully operational, will produce 9 mn t/y of ethane and can meet the domestic petrochemical feedstock needs.