Iran has boosted its natural gas production from Phase 11 of the massive South Pars field following the activation of a new well, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.
The new eighth well in South Pars 11 will add 3 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d) to the field’s output, bringing the total production from the field to 20 mcm/d, according to PetroPars, the state-run company managing the project.
South Pars, located in the Persian Gulf and shared with Qatar, is the world’s largest natural gas field. Iran has faced challenges in developing the field after French oil giant TotalEnergies pulled out in 2018 due to U.S. sanctions. TotalEnergies had initially joined the project in 2017 as the first major Western company to return to Iran following the lifting of previous sanctions.
However, after the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions by the Trump administration, TotalEnergies, along with other Western firms, had to exit the Iranian market, leaving Iran to continue Phase 11 development on its own.
Despite these setbacks, Iran has relied on domestic companies and technology to develop Phase 11, which is considered the most technically demanding of all 28 phases of the South Pars field. Chinese and Russian companies have also supported Iran’s efforts to increase production at the field.
Production at South Pars Phase 11 officially began in August 2023. The South Pars field now accounts for 70% of Iran’s natural gas supply and provides 40% of the feedstock used in domestic gasoline refineries.
The South Pars development involves extensive infrastructure, including up to 40 offshore drilling rigs, hundreds of wells, and thousands of miles of subsea pipelines.
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