1. South Pars
PRODUCTION FACILITY
Facility Name South Pars Duty Gas
Operator NIOC (NOC) Current Status Producing since 2003
Host Type Fixed Platform Water Depth 70 m / 231 ft
Dev.Cost $28,000,000,000 Region Iran
Location
OIL & GAS FIELD
Field Name South Pars Discovery Date
Block Reserve Type Gas
Current
Status
Producing - Under Dev. Production Start
Water Depth 70 m / 231 ft
Description
The largest gas field in the world, South Pars is located on the Iranian border
with Qatar in the Persian Gulf (the Qatari side of the field is referred to as the
North Field). The whole field spans 9,700 square kilometers, and the Iranian
section, South Pars covers 3,700 square kilometers. Recoverable reserves in
South Pars are estimated at 14 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 18 billion
barrels of condensates.
A massive project to bring to fruition, the National Iranian Oil Company has
dissected South Pars field development into 24 phases, each coming in at
around US $1 billion for development costs. The phases incorporate offshore
facilities, pipelines and onshore processing components, as well as exporting

2. units and pipelines. Once complete, South Pars will have a daily production rate
of 820 million cubic meters of gas a day.
Phase 1
Awarded to Petronas in January 1998, the first phase of offshore development
included the construction and installation of a production platform, a processing
platform and a residential platform. Gas and condensate are extracted through
12 wells drilled to a depth of 3,670 meters. Hydrocarbons are transported from
the production platform to the processing platform via an 18-inch-diameter
subsea pipeline, and then transferred to an onshore refinery via a 32-inch-
diameter, 105-kilometer subsea pipeline. The project came on-stream in
October 2004 with a daily production rate of 28 MMscm/d.
Phases 2 & 3
In 1997, Total (40%) was awarded the second and third phases of South Pars
development, along with partners Gazprom (30%) and Petronas (30%). The
upstream development plan called for two offshore gas production platforms
located in 70 meters of water and 20 wells, as well as 32-inch-diameter 105-
kilometer multiphase pipelines connecting the platforms to the onshore refinery
and a 4.5-inch-diameter pipeline for injecting MEG. Offshore production began
in December 2001 with development drilling completed by May 2003. The daily
production from these phases amounts to 2 billion cubic feet of gas and 80,000
barrels of condensate a day.
Phases 4 & 5
A consortium of Eni (60%), Petronas (20%) and NIOC (20%) was awarded the
next two phases of field development for South Pars in July 2000. Upstream
development for these phases included the fabrication and installation of two
production platforms, drilling of 24 production wells, and installation of two 32-
inch-diameter, 100-kilometer subsea pipelines connecting the platforms to the
onshore refinery. Offshore production commenced in October 2004, ramping up
to a daily production level of 14 MMcm/d.
Phases 6, 7 & 8
In October 2002, StatoilHydro was awarded operatorship of the offshore
upstream portion of Phases 6, 7 and 8, which included the construction and
installation of three production platforms, the drilling and hook-up of 30 wells,
and the installation of three 32-inch-diameter, 105-kilometer subsea pipelines to
shore. These phases encompass a daily production rate of 104 MMscm/d of
natural gas.
Phases 9 & 10
The next two phases of development were awarded to a JV between South
Korea's GS, OIEC and IOEC in September 2002. The upstream portion of the
phases includes two offshore gas production platforms, 24 gas wells, and two
32-inch-diameter, 105-kilometer subsea pipelines to shore. Daily production
from these phases will reach 50 MMscm/d of natural gas and 80,000 barrels of
gas condensate.
Phase 11
The 11th phase of development on South Pars is being implemented to supply
sour gas to Pars LNG. Awarded to a JV between Total and Petronas, Phase 11
includes the upstream components of two production platforms, 20 drilling wells,
two 32-inch-diameter pipelines to shore, a subsea communication system
connecting all phases of development with onshore units, and a gas condensate
transfer pipeline and Single Buoy Mooring. This phase of development will

3. produce 2,000 MMscf/d of gas.
Phase 12
In July 2005, Petropars was awarded the 12th phase of South Pars
development, which aims to produce 78 MMcm/d of natural gas for
transportation to the sixth Iranian Gas Trunk Line and Iran LNG, a nearby gas
liquefaction unit. The upstream component of the phase includes three separate
platforms equipped for 12 wells each, and a 32-inch-diameter, 135-kilometer
subsea pipeline.
Phases 13 & 14
The next two phases of development are being instituted to provide Persian
LNG with sour feed gas. The upstream portion of these phases includes the
construction and installation of four offshore production platforms, as well as the
drilling and hook-up of 44 wells. Two 32-inch-diameter pipelines will transport
gas 235 kilometers subsea. Phases 13 and 14 were awarded to a Shell/Repsol
joint venture.
Phases 15 & 16
Gharargah Khatam-ol Anbia was awarded Phases 15 and 16, which includes
the upstream components of building and installing two production platforms,
drilling 24 wells, and laying two 32-inch-diameter, subsea pipelines measuring
100 kilometers each. Additionally, field development plans call for two 4.5-inch-
diameter pipelines to be installed to transport MEG 100 kilometers. The
production objective for these phases is 50 MMcm/d of natural gas and 80,000
b/d of condensate.
Phases 17 & 18
The next two phases of upstream development require four drilling platforms, 44
wells and two subsea gas pipelines measuring 32 inches in diameter. Daily
production from this phase of development is expected to reach 50 MMcm/d of
natural gas and 80,000 b/d of condensate. A consortium of IDRO, IOEC and
OIEC were awarded the project in July 2007, and the complete (upstream and
downstream components) development project is expected to be completed
within 52 months.
Phases 19, 20 & 21
The next three phases haven't yet been awarded and are undergoing the
bidding process at this time. The upstream field development plan for Phases
19, 20 and 21 includes the construction of five wellhead platforms fitted with a
free water knock-out drum (FWKD), test separator, utilities, access bridges and
a flare platform. Gas and condensate will be produced from 37 wells and
transported to onshore processing units by three 36-inch-diameter subsea
pipelines. Production goals for these phases are 80 MMscm/d of treated gas.
Phases 22, 23 & 24
The last three phases of South Pars development are also in the bidding
process. The scope of work for the upstream portion of these phases includes
the construction and installation of three wellhead platforms equipped with a
FWKD, test separator, utilities, access bridges and flare platform, as well as the
drilling of 29 production wells and the installation of one 42-inch-diameter
subsea pipeline. Expected to produce 75 MMscm/d of treated gas, Phases 22,
23 and 24 concludes the planned field development on South Pars.
Future Development

4. Although not as large as its gas reserves, South Pars also has proven oil
reserves in a joint reservoir with Qatar. Currently, there are two phases of
development planned to produce oil from South Pars. The first will have a daily
production rate of 35,000 bopd and the second will produce 54,000 bopd.
PetroIran was awarded the development project in March 2005.
Additionally, Iran is studying transportation options for the gas produced from
South Pars. Pipeline options include a build-own-operate pipeline that will span
1,800 kilometers, bringing gas to Europe. Another is the 3,000-kilometer
Nabucco pipeline, which will bring gas to Europe through Turkey and other
Eastern European countries. Also, the country moving forward with plans to
export some South Pars gas through the Iranian Gas Trunkline 9 (IGAT-9).
A major obstacle in bringing South Pars to its full gas production capacity of 820
MMcm/d is the economic sanctions currently imposed on Iran by the United
States and United Nations because of the country's nuclear program. Because
of this, Iran has been unable to attract international investments to develop the
mass
Activities
South Pars Phase 20 Installation Underway
Date: Mar. 2013
Type: Development Activity
Installation of the jacket for South Pars Phase 20 is underway in
Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. The 1,700-ton jacket was loaded
onto an installation vessel at the Khorramshahr yard and will be
installed in 206 feet (63 meters) of water. Construction of the jacket
took eight months. The platform for South Pars Phase 21 has already
been installed and is being prepared for drilling operations. South Pars
20 should be operational by the end of March 2013.
South Pars 17 and 18 Nearing Completion
Date: Nov. 2012
Type: Facility Construction
Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company successfully
built and installed the 2,320-ton production deck for South Pars A17
platform. From engineering to installation, the entire project took just
over 4 years to complete. Production will begin in about 3 months when
final commissioning is complete. The unit has the capacity to produce
500 million cubic feet of gas per day. Construction of the production
deck for the A18 platform is 90% complete. Completion of the two
platforms will be a milestone for phases 17 and 18 in the South Pars
development.
CNPC Pulls Out of Iran's South Pars Project
Date: Jul. 2012
Type: Status Update
China National Petroleum has pulled out of developing Phase 11 of

5. Iran's offshore South Pars gas field, reported Dow Jones newswires.
The firm, which had delayed the project for more than 1,130 days, has
already withdrawn all of its workers from the southern Iranian port city
of Assaluyeh, the onshore part of South Pars gas field in the Persian
Gulf, Mehr said, citing information from the oil ministry.
Iran to Invest $9B to Implement Phase 11 of South Pars field
Date: Dec. 2010
Type: Status Update
The Economic Council of Iran will allocate an investment in the amount
of US $9.414 billion in order to accelerate Phase 11 of the South Pars
field development project, according to a news agency. This phase of
development will increase daily production of natural gas to 2 billion
cubic feet and 80,000 barrels of gas condensate. Considered to be the
largest gas field in the world, South Pars is located on the Iranian
border with Qatar in the Persian Gulf (the Qatari side of the field is
referred to as the North Field). Recoverable reserves in South Pars are
estimated at 14 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 18 billion barrels
of condensates.
Third Platform Jacket Ready for Installation in South Pars
Phase 12
Date: Oct. 2010
Type: Status Update
Pars Oil and Gas Co. announced that installation of the third platform
jacket for the South Pars Phase 12 development should commence
within the next five weeks. The two-thousand-ton-jacket will be installed
in a water depth of 230 feet (70 meters), and following the installation
development drilling will start. Additionally, another satellite platform
will be installed in order to prevent production decline in the wells.
Production is hoped to flow at a rate of 3 Bcf/d of natural gas. South
Pars is located on the Iranian border with Qatar in the Persian Gulf.
Recoverable reserves in South Pars are estimated at 14 trillion cubic
meters of natural gas and 18 billion barrels of condensates.
CNPC Readying for Possible March Launch of South Pars
Phase 11
Date: Feb. 2010
Type: Status Update
Reports indicate that China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)
and National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) finalized an agreement
whereby CNPC will participate in the development of Phase 11 of the
South Pars gas project, which is situated on the Iran/Qatar border in
the Persian Gulf. As part of Phase 11, CNPC will reportedly commence
appraisal drilling in the gas field to evaluate the project's reserves as
early as March. Divided into 24 phases of development, South Pars is
shared by Iran and Qatar and spans 914,290 acres (3,700 square
kilometers). NIOC wholly owns and operates the Iranian portion of the
project.

6. Stake In South Pars on the Table for India
Date: Dec. 2009
Type: Status Update
A 40% stake has been offered to India by National Iranian Oil Co. in
phase 12 of the South Pars gas field and 6 million metric tons of LNG a
year. If accepted, India's state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corp. and Hinduja
group will each receive a 20% interest in the field for a price of $7.5
billion. Considered to be the largest gas field in the world, South Pars is
located on the Iranian border with Qatar in the Persian Gulf (the Qatari
side of the field is referred to as the North Field). The 12th phase of the
South Pars development, situated in the southeastern block of the field
and covering 37,066 acres (150 square kilometers), aims to produce
78 MMcm/d of natural gas for transportation to the sixth Iranian Gas
Trunk Line and Iran LNG, a nearby gas liquefaction unit.
Iran Needs $40B to Develop Remainder of South Pars
Date: Nov. 2009
Type: Status Update
The managing director of Iran's Pars Oil and Gas Co. states that the
Middle Eastern country will need $40 billion in additional financing to
complete the remaining phases of the South Pars development within
10 years, reports Dow Jones. "We predict all phases of South Pars will
be developed within the next 10 years," Ali Vakili, managing director,
was quoted as saying. "We predict that we need about $40 billion to
complete the remaining phases." The largest gas field in the world,
South Pars is located on the Iranian border with Qatar in the Persian
Gulf (the Qatari side of the field is referred to as the North Field).
Total Interested in Continuing Pars LNG Project
Date: Oct. 2009
Type: Status Update
Total has resumed contacts to enter the Pars liquefied-natural-gas
export scheme in Iran, a state company said, despite rising tensions
between the West and the Islamic Republic. Total met last week with
the managing director of the National Iranian Gas Exporting Co., Reza
Kasaeizadeh, NIGEC said in a statement posted on its Website. "The
French company expressed...interest to continue its activities in Pars
LNG project," it said. It is unclear when the statement was posted.
Total declined to comment. The cost of Phase 11 -- tapping into Pars,
the world's largest non-associated gas field which Iran shares with
Qatar -- is estimated at $4.7 billion. The project will produce natural gas
for the Pars LNG project, which is expected to export 10 million metric
tons per year mainly to Europe and East Asia.
Iran to Up Gas Output After Launch of New South Pars
Platform

7. Date: Sep. 2009
Type: Status Update
Iran announces plans to increase its natural gas output by one bn
cubic feet (bcf) of gas per day after the inauguration of a new gas
platform in the South Pars gas field. Manager of the marine section of
the phases 6, 7 and 8 of the giant gas filed Karim Hasanzadeh said the
platform would be inaugurated in the first week of October. He added
that the natural gas exploited from the phases would be injected into
the Aqajari oil filed via a 504-kilometer pipeline to boost its oil output.
Gas injection is a reservoir maintenance or secondary recovery method
that uses injected gas to supplement the pressure in an oil field. The
South Pars gas field is jointly owned by Iran and Qatar.
Iran Oil Minister Says 2009 Bright Year for South Pars
Project
Date: Jun. 2009
Type: Status Update
Oil Minister Gholamhoseyn Nozari announced executive works on 11
other phases of the South Pars gas field will soon begin. Stating that
the Oyek Company is the contractor of the phases 20 and 21, Nozari
added that the company set an international record by implementing
the phases nine and 10 of the South Pars project. Implementation of
the phases 20 and 21 is meant to produce 50 cubic meters of gas,
77,000 barrels of condensates and one million tons of ethane, and it
will take 52 months to complete the projects at a cost of $5 billion.
Status History
South Pars
Producing - May 2003 to -
The first production from South Pars gas field began in May 2003 from Phases
2 and 3. Phase 1 came on stream in October 2004; Phases 4 and 5 came on
stream in October 2004. The other 23 phases of field development haven't yet
commenced production.
South Pars
Producing - Under Dev. - May 2003 to -
The first phases to commence production were Phases 2 & 3, developed by
Total. Other phases currently producing include: Phases 1-5. Phases 6-24 are
still under development. Daily gas production from South Pars is expected to
reach 820 MMcm/d.
Under Development - 1997 to Apr 2003
South Pars is being developed in 24 phases. The first phase awarded was in
1997 (for Phases 2 & 3). Development continues today; there are still a number
of phases that have not been awarded yet.