New Record at South Pars: Two Platforms Operational at SP13

Payam Motamed said the two platforms became ready for production immediately after hook-up and startup.

“This is a new record in Iran’s offshore industry,” he said.

After the inauguration of ten SP phases since President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013, the second round of SP development trend has started for developing the remaining phases.

Mohammad Meshkinfam, CEO of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC), has put the South Pars rich gas production capacity at 600 mcm/d.

“Except for SP11, the border blocks of this field shared [with neighboring Qatar] are operational,” he said, adding that the sour gas production capacity in developing phases of this field (SP13, SP14, SP22-24) would increase by next March.

Motamed said the two platforms started work thanks to efforts made by the client and contractors including SADRA and Tesco.

“The flares of the two platforms were switched on after the end of construction and installation operations, the activation of all F&G safety systems and the opening of the first wells,” he added.

Motamed said delivery of gas to the onshore refinery will start when an offshore pipeline becomes ready to transmit gas.

The simultaneous startup of two major gas platforms in the Persian Gulf by Iranian contractors is unprecedented in Iran’s offshore industry. Until recently, Iranian contractors were not able to carry out such sophisticated operations without foreign help. However, they are now skilled enough to install and launch such facilities without having to hire foreign experts.

Motamed said the startup of 13B and 13D platforms would lead to the production of 1 bcf/d (28 mcm/d) of rich gas from SP13.

Platforms 13B and 13D were loaded out from Bushehr Yard of Iran Offshore Industrial Park and were installed under suitable weather conditions.

According to Motamed, the operation of the two platforms ahead of schedule indicates the seriousness of the Petroleum Ministry and National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) in operating SP gas projects and boosting production from this supergiant reservoir. The SP13 output has increased in the shortest possible time with the assistance of Iranian contractors and technicians throughout the stages of manufacturing, installation and startup of oil and gas projects.

In the offshore sector of SP13 located in the northwestern part of the gas field, 38 offshore wells have been drilled.

By sending the sour gas obtained from the two platforms of SP13 to the onshore refinery via a 32-inch pipe for processing, a variety of products including sweet gas, ethane, propane, butane, gas condensate and sulfur products would be produced.

4th Sweetening Train

Furthermore, in coincidence with the startup of the fourth train of gas sweetening and injection into national grid, the SP13 treatment facility has become ready to sweeten gas in four processing units at a nominal capacity of 2 bcf/d.

Achieving full gas sweetening capacity at SP13 treatment facility has materialized after the startup of the fourth, which is also the last, train of sweetening at this phase. At this sweetening train, 6 mcm/d of rich gas is being processed before being fed into the national network.

Motamed said each of the four processing units would sweeten 500 mcf/d of gas for injection into national trunkline.

The four trains are currently operational by receiving sour gas from SP6 to SP8. Half of these processing units, including the first and the second trains, are expected to receive 1 bcf/d offshore gas of SP13 to be processed for injection into gas grid.

Production and injection of sweet gas from the fourth sweetening train of SP13 treatment facility is taking place at a time the first train of sulfur recovery unit of this phase has become operational by supplying 6 tonnes per hour of acid gas to the reaction furnace.

The first and the second trains of sweetening at the SP13 refinery are currently supplying 25 tonnes per hour of 20% hydrogen sulfide to the sulfur recovery unit of the refinery so that an important environmentally friendly section of a refining project would come on-stream with the completion of sweetening trains and the refinery’s readiness to receive offshore rich gas.

Once four offshore platforms of SP13 come online and supplying rich gas to this phase starts, 2 bcf/d of rich sour gas would be sweetened in the processing units of this phase.