Seyed Mohammad Hashemi Kia, chief executive officer of Petrofarhang
Holding, said Wednesday that development work at the Gardan and Pazan gas
fields was running ahead of schedule as of the end of August, with drilling of
the first well expected to begin in the final month of Iran’s current calendar
year.
The first phase of the Pazan development is scheduled to come on
stream within two years, producing 8 million cubic meters a day for injection
into Iran’s gas network, Hashemi Kia said. Production is planned to rise to 32
million cubic meters a day within seven years as additional phases are
developed.
The projects are intended primarily to secure gas feedstock for
Petrofarhang’s petrochemical projects and complexes while contributing to
efforts to ease Iran’s gas supply imbalance.
Upstream Expansion to Support Petrochemical Feedstock
Petrofarhang established Petrofarhang Gardan and Pazan Gas Fields
Development Co. under the direction of the Teachers’ Reserve Fund to oversee
the projects.
According to Hashemi Kia, site preparation for the first-phase wells,
access roads and supporting infrastructure has been carried out under the
supervision of an experienced operating team. Progress has reached 1.5% ahead
of the approved schedule, he said.
The company plans to maintain full-time operations as development
continues, with the aim of both supporting government efforts to address Iran’s
gas imbalance and securing feedstock for Petrofarhang’s petrochemical
businesses as new phases of the fields come on stream.
The strategy is designed to create a more balanced development
structure across Petrofarhang’s upstream, midstream and downstream businesses,
Hashemi Kia said.
Energy Supply Becomes Strategic Priority
Petrofarhang is also expanding into power generation as part of its
strategy to address energy shortages.
Hashemi Kia said construction of a 10-megawatt solar power plant in
Mahan, Kerman province, began last month. Studies are also under way for
another 10-megawatt solar plant and a 25-megawatt gas-fired power plant.
Together with three power plants already operated by the holding, the
projects are expected to bring Petrofarhang’s total power-generation capacity
to about 90 megawatts.
The development of the Gardan and Pazan gas fields, carried out with
the participation of the Bakhtar Group and under the National Iranian Oil
Company as project owner, is another major component of Petrofarhang’s energy
strategy.
The expansion reflects a broader effort by the holding to secure
energy and feedstock supplies for its downstream petrochemical operations while
building new upstream and power-generation capacity.