Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 15
By Dalga Khatinoglu – Trend:
Iran’s fiscal year would end on March 20, and the latest statistics indicate that the country has increased its gas output capacity by about 70 mcm/d during the current fiscal year.
The country’s gas output growth came from the South Pars gas field, joint with Qatar. Iran’s side contains about 14 trillion cubic meters of gas and 18 billion barrels of gas condensate.
Before Hassan Rouhani’s administration (mid-2013), Iran’s total gross gas output (including re-injection and flaring) was about 600 mcm/d, of which South Pars’ share was 40 percent.
Before mid-2013, only ten phases of the field had been commenced with 240 mcm/d of gross gas output. Currently, the volume stands at about 469 mcm/d.
During Rouhani’s administration about 8 new phases of South Pars became full of half operational and the output of phases 1-10 increased.
|
South Pars |
Current output (mcm/d) |
Final capacity (mcm/d) |
|
Phases 1-10 |
270 |
270 |
|
Phase 12 |
60 |
84 |
|
Phases 15&16 |
50 |
56 |
|
Phases 17&18 |
46 |
56 |
|
Phase 19 |
30 |
56 |
|
Phases 20&21 |
13 |
56 |
|
Total |
469 |
578 |
All of the semi-operational phases are expected to become fully operational next year to add about 110 mcm/d of gas to production level.
Phases 13, 14, 22-24 were also developed by more than 60 percent on average, and are expected to become operational by 2019. They will add about 130 mcm/d to the production volume. Phase 11 is the only upstream project that remains undeveloped with 56 mcm/d output potential.
In total, after full operational of 24 phases, South Pars would produce about 765 mcm/d of natural gas.
It is not expected that Iran’s gas output increases from other fields significantly by 2021. Then, Iran’s total gross gas output may reach about 1,000-1,050 mcm/d. Iran itself, claims that the volume can reach 1,250 mcm/d in the next five years.
Iran’s gas losses and flaring volume stand at about 60 mcm/d as of current. The country plans to decrease this volume to about zero in the coming five years.
Iran also re-injects about 70 mcm/d of gas into oil fields to maintain crude oil production level.
According to an official document, prepared by Oil Ministry and obtained by Trend, Iran has injected about 580 bcm of gas to oil fields as of January 2017, while it should have injected 1,200 bcm.
Coming to the consumption volume, according to an official document prepared by National Iranian Gas Company, the domestic gas usage (including re-injection) may reach 930 mcm/d by 2020.
Dalga Khatinoglu is the head of Trend Agency’s Iran news service, follow him on Twitter: @dalgakhatinoglu