MNA � Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh says the country will start gas production from 5 phases of the supergiant South Pars Gas Field during the next calendar year starting on March 21.


During a Monday visit to the refining facilities of the massive gas field, Mr. Zangeneh said, "we are endeavoring to complete phases 13, 14, 22, 23 and 24 of the gas field during next [calendar] year provided that the projects are properly funded," Iran's oil ministry news website SHANA reported on Monday.

Accompanied with members of the Iranian parliament's energy committee, Zangeneh said once Iran fully operates two major refining projects, namely, Siraf (with 48,000 b/d of processing capacity) and Bandar Abbas Gas Condensate refineries (with 36,000 b/d of refining capacity), the country will no longer have any gas condensate for export.

He further said Iran is currently producing 4.5 million tons of ethane annually which will cross 6 mt/y next year and 10 mt/y by 2020.

This is while, "the country consumes 5.5 mt/y which means the rest of the item will be up for export."