By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, Mar. 19 -- TotalFinaElf SA has brought on stream Phases 2 and 3 of the South Pars natural gas development project in the Persian Gulf off Iran. Development costs for the field, which lies in 70 m of water, reached a total of $2 billion.
Production from Phases 2 and 3 is expected to plateau at 2 bcfd of gas and 80,000 b/d of condensate from 20 wells, which are tied into two unmanned platforms, TotalFinaElf said. Gas and condensate from the field will be transported via two 32-in., 105 km pipelines to be treated onshore at the Assaluyeh gas processing facility.
The Assaluyeh plant covers a 150 hectare area and will comprise four gas processing trains, export compressors, condensate stabilization and storage units, and sulfur recovery units. The first train has been commissioned, TotalFinaElf said, and the other three will come on stream before the end of the third quarter.
Gas produced from the South Pars project will be used in Iran, while condensate will be sent to an offshore buoy for export. However, BP PLC, National Iranian Oil Co., and India's Reliance Industries Ltd. last year agreed to begin a $10 million feasibility study of an LNG project in southern Iran based on South Pars gas. Reliance Industries, National Iranian Oil, and BP will study a proposed two-train, 8 million tonne/year plant. The study will examine using gas from Iran's South Pars field and moving it via pipeline to the proposed plant at the Pars Special Energy Economic Zone at Assaluyeh on the Persian Gulf. Exports would go to India and other markets in Asia and Europe (OGJ, Mar. 5, 2001, p. 9).
Phases 2 and 3 operator TotalFinaElf holds 40% interest in Phases 2 and 3 of the South Pars field development project. Partners are Russia's OAO Gazprom 30% and Malaysia's Petronas 30%.
South Pars field extends into Qatari territory, where it is known as North field. Phase 1 of the South Pars development project—which may ultimately involve as many as 10 development phases—is being undertaken by Iran's state-owned Petro Pars.
