Iran’s energy heart beats well
South Pars supplying more gas than committed
The 13 refineries of Iran’s South Pars are operating at full capacity to warm people’s homes in various cities and villages across the country during the cold winter days. South Pars, the world’s largest gas field, is one of Iran’s most important energy sources, playing a vital role in supplying gas to the country during the cold season. Located in the Persian Gulf and shared with Qatar, the field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, with 3,700 square kilometers belonging to Iran, situated 100 kilometers off the coast at a depth of 3,000 meters below the sea floor. The South Pars gas field holds 14.2 trillion cubic meters of gas, equivalent to 8% of the world’s total gas reserves and 47% of Iran’s known gas reserves. To meet the country’s gas needs during winter, extensive efforts have been made, and major repair operations have been carried out in various phases and platforms to ensure maximum gas production. The South Pars gas refineries, located in Assaluyeh and Kangan, comprise 24 gas phases, with phases 1–10 and 15–21 in Assaluyeh and phases 11–14, 19, and 22–24 in Kangan. The average daily gas production from South Pars has reached over 700 million cubic meters in recent years, indicating an increase in production capacity and efficiency. Given the country’s growing energy needs, this production level is crucial for meeting domestic demands and exporting to global markets.
Maximum production to supply winter gas
The CEO of the South Pars Gas Complex stated in an interview with Mehr news agency: “To supply the country’s gas needs during the cold season, fundamental measures have been taken, and the South Pars refineries are operating at full capacity.” Gholamabbas Hosseini noted that with 855 million cubic meters of gas entering the national grid daily, the share of the 13 South Pars refineries in supplying the country’s gas exceeds 585 million cubic meters per day.
Hosseini lauded the efforts and dedication of the South Pars Complex personnel and added, “Innovative measures have been taken and domestically manufactured parts and equipment have been used to maximize gas production in South Pars.”
The CEO announced that the daily gas production and processing at Site 1 of South Pars exceed 333 million cubic meters, with over 252 million cubic meters also being produced and processed at Site 2.
Hosseini expressed readiness to continue producing and refining gas in South Pars, hoping that it would be enough to get Iranians through the winter without issues.
He reported that the production of sweet gas in South Pars reached over 143 billion cubic meters in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2024), adding that all efforts are being made to keep producing gas sustainably and send it to the national grid.
Hosseini stated that there was a 1.2 billion cubic meter increase in production over the first eight months of the calendar year compared to the same period the year before and noted that the country’s energy basket is 90% dependent on gas.
He mentioned that the time needed for major repairs at the gas refineries has been reduced from 45 days to between 18 and 25 days and that planning for next year’s repairs has been done.
The CEO emphasized the need to pay special attention to gas consumption and manage it because Iran’s energy consumption intensity is 3.3 times the global average. He pointed out that the main reason for the recent gas imbalance was the high energy consumption in the country.
South Pars’s 70% share in gas production
An official with the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) stated on the sidelines of a press visit to South Pars: “The share of gas in the country’s energy basket is around 75%, with South Pars producing about 70% of the country’s total gas.” The majority of the country’s gas is produced from the 22 phases of South Pars in Assaluyeh and Kangan.
Mohammad-Reza Joulaei added that the current gas production exceeds the committed amount. He, however, emphasized that having alternatives to gas in power plants are essential.
The middle manager maintained that the priority for gas supply is the household sector, followed by power plants and industries.
Joulaei also mentioned that Iran’s gas extraction from the shared South Pars field is currently higher than Qatar’s and once again stressed the need for power plants to use other energy sources and invest in them.
Necessity of consumption management
An energy expert told Mehr that “unfortunately, energy consumption in [Iran] is very high,” assessing the situation as unfavorable compared to other countries.
Mehdi Musapour emphasized that managing natural gas consumption is of particular importance due to the growing population and increasing energy needs, and that appropriate measures must be taken to achieve this goal.
Musapour further stressed the need to raise public awareness about the importance of energy conservation and methods to reduce consumption, adding that implementing new technologies to increase energy efficiency in industries and buildings is essential. He highlighted the crucial role of people in consumption management and suggested adopting laws and regulations that control energy consumption and provide incentives for reduction.
South Pars not only supplies the main source of natural gas for industries and power plants in Iran but also plays a significant role in its energy security. Given the country’s high dependence on fossil fuels, continued production from this field can help reduce reliance on energy imports.
The article first appeared in Farsi on Mehr.