Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad said the milestone was achieved
despite harsh weather conditions and rising consumption, calling it
unprecedented compared with previous years.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of operational staff, a new record has
been registered at South Pars, with gas production reaching about 725 million
cubic metres per day,” Paknejad said during a visit to offshore platforms in
the field, according to state media Shana.
South Pars, Iran’s largest gas field and the world’s biggest shared
reservoir with Qatar, forms the first link in the country’s gas production,
processing and distribution chain. Gas produced from the field supplies
households, industry and petrochemical plants, creating significant added value
for the economy.
Paknejad said that over the past 14 months, 13 new wells have been
drilled in South Pars, increasing raw gas output by about 22 million cubic
metres per day. He described the increase as significant given the country’s
ongoing energy imbalance.
He added that a further four wells are expected to come on stream by
the end of the current Iranian year, lifting the total production increase from
the field to around 30 million cubic metres per day.
Despite record output, Paknejad said gas supply-demand imbalances
intensify during periods of severe cold due to a sharp rise in consumption by
households, commercial users and parts of industry, requiring tighter
management of gas use.
The minister paid tribute to offshore workers operating in difficult
conditions and away from their families, saying their efforts were critical to
maintaining supplies during peak demand.