The acting director of the Phase 11 South Pars development project announced that the twelfth well in this phase is prepared to begin the production cycle before the winter season.
According to IRNA, citing the Ministry of Oil, Kivan Tarighati stated that the last well in the SPD11B area of the first development phase has entered the monitoring stage of pilot flow and production capacity.
He added that the drilling, completion, and perforation works for the twelfth well of Phase 11 South Pars have been successfully completed, and its pilot flow began after nitrogen was discharged from the wellbore.
Emphasizing that the well's production capacity is continuously monitored at this stage to assess its operating conditions, he noted that after the pilot flow and acid treatment are completed, the twelfth well of Phase 11 should reach its nominal production capacity in the coming days.
The acting director of the Phase 11 South Pars development project stressed the importance of developing new wells in this phase: introducing new wells into the production cycle is a key step towards achieving the full production capacity of Phase 11 and maximizing the resources of the overall South Pars field.
Phase 11 of South Pars represents the newest development project for the overall South Pars field, whose development is entrusted to the company Petropars under a new model of oil contracts.
Mohsen Paknejad, the Minister of Oil, recently commented on the measures taken to increase gas production and supplies in the country over the past two years, noting that the operations for developing Phase 11 of South Pars have accelerated.
As reported in early September, Phase 11 of South Pars demonstrated significant growth in production and simultaneous progress in development during the 14th government. Production in Area B, which was about 400 million cubic feet per day during the 12th and 13th governments, now exceeds 915 million cubic feet per day in the 14th government. According to the schedule, with the connection of the twelfth well in the coming weeks, it will reach a maximum production of 1 billion cubic feet per day.
A 4000-ton jacket is installed in Area A, and the superstructure construction progress, which was about 4% at the beginning of the 14th government, has now reached almost 50%.
According to IRNA, quoting the Ministry of Oil, Phase 11 of South Pars is considered one of the most important projects for the country's gas development due to its location in the border zone of the overall South Pars field.
The development of this phase was carried out in previous years with the participation of companies such as Total and CNPC, but the withdrawal of these companies following the imposition of sanctions affected the project's progress. Subsequently, the phase's development continued through the capabilities of Iranian companies, with the Petropars group, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, taking over the execution of the project.
During the 12th and 13th governments, Area B produced approximately 400 million cubic feet per day, utilizing the Phase 12D jacket and a platform transferred from Area 12C. In the 14th government, thanks to ongoing drilling, well completions, and their gradual connection to existing facilities, production in this area has reached over 915 million cubic feet per day. According to the project plan, with the connection of the twelfth well in the coming weeks, production will reach 1 billion cubic feet per day—the maximum production capacity of Area B.
Simultaneously, the development of Area A has also shown impressive dynamics. At the beginning of the 14th government, the jacket for this area had about 35% completion and had not yet reached the verticalization stage, while superstructure construction was in its early stages with about 4% progress. Now, a 4000-ton jacket is installed at its offshore location, and the superstructure construction progress during the 14th government has increased from 4% to almost 50%. More than 700 meters of piling work for the jacket installation have been completed.
The progress of this project area occurred amid limitations faced by Phase 11 related to sanctions, regional threats, and security issues. During the 40-day 'Third Imposed War,' the contractor at the 11A superstructure construction site was shelled by several missiles, but construction work did not stop, and the project implementation continued.
Regarding the superstructure, besides the physical construction progress, a significant volume of procurement for the project has been completed, especially long-term equipment. These components are currently being manufactured, tested, and transported to the contractor's site to prepare the superstructure for final stages.
According to the implementation plan, the superstructure progress will reach approximately 80% by the time of offloading, and after transportation, installation, and offshore commissioning, Area A will enter the production phase. Initial production in this area will start with 4-6 wells, and the drilling of subsequent wells will continue in stages. The project estimates that an average of one new production well will be commissioned every four months, with drilling continuing for about three years until the platform reaches its full nominal capacity.
Phase 11 of South Pars is part of Petropars Group's experience in developing South Pars. Petropars has participated in a significant portion of the development projects of this field both onshore and offshore, completing more than half of the plans for developing the South Pars gas field in coastal and offshore sectors.
The achievements of Phase 11 during the 14th government can be summarized by three main indicators: increasing production in Area B from approximately 400 million cubic feet per day during the 12th and 13th governments to over 915 million cubic feet per day in the 14th government, moving towards a maximum production of 1 billion cubic feet per day with the connection of the twelfth well; installing a 4000-ton jacket in Area A; and advancing superstructure construction during the 14th government from about 4% to almost 50%. This trajectory, along with ongoing drilling and well completions, will increase the production capacity of Phase 11 in the coming years.
The South Pars gas field is a giant natural gas accumulation located in the Persian Gulf, shared between Iran and Qatar. It is the world's largest gas accumulation with over 2000 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of recoverable resources. The field is being developed in 24 phases and is the basis of Iran's energy supply, providing approximately 70-80% of the country's domestic gas needs.
Phase 11 is the last undeveloped phase of this overall field and is strategically important due to its location on the maritime border. Initially, a contract worth $4.8 billion was signed in 2017 with a consortium led by the French Total and Chinese CNPC, but both companies withdrew from the project after renewed US sanctions, leaving the Iranian domestic company Petropars to execute the project.