South Pars launches first pressure-boosting hub to sustain output
Iran has begun the implementation of the first hub of its South Pars gas field pressure-boosting project, aimed at maintaining production, preventing reservoir pressure decline, easing the country's natural gas supply imbalance and protecting Iran's share of the giant field, state media reported.
According to IRNA, engineering work on the South Pars pressure-boosting project began in May 2023 after contracts for basic and front-end engineering design (FEED) studies were awarded in 17 separate work packages to Iranian consulting firms working with international consultants.
As part of the project, basic and FEED studies for Hub 1 have begun under a combined onshore-offshore development scenario designed to prevent pressure decline at the shared reservoir, increase its recovery factor and help address Iran's natural gas supply imbalance.
Petropars Group Chief Executive Hamidreza Saqafi said the project was intended to maximize the use of domestic capabilities, prevent the loss of national assets and accelerate implementation of the South Pars pressure-boosting program.
"The project is designed to play an effective role in ensuring stable gas supplies and helping address the country's gas imbalance, particularly during the colder months, through the short-term implementation of onshore pressure boosting, while the completion of offshore facilities in the longer term will help secure the reservoir's ultimate recovery," he said.
As the first executive step of the national project, Saqafi said Petropars on June 18, 2026, awarded a contract to the Iran Offshore Engineering and Construction Company (IOEC) to build the RP-1 four-leg riser platform jacket, weighing about 2,500 metric tons.
The structure will be installed adjacent to the SPD12A platform and will also serve the development project for the shared Bilal gas field.
South Pars, which Iran shares with Qatar, is the world's largest natural gas field.