TEHRAN, June 20 (Shana) -- The Loading operation of the phase 21 topside will start early next week from Khorramshahr Yard, operator of phases 20 and 21 said.

Alireza Ebadi told Shana that concluding operations over 11 wells at phase 21 are going on as planned and the phase's topside will be loaded from Khorramshahr Yard next week.

He said drilling operations for the wells have sewn up and the wells are being prepared for production once the topside it installed at its designated site.

Ebadi also said that installation of the structure will take a month.

Last week, Platform A of phase 19 of the supergiant South Pars Gas Field was loaded for delivery to its designated offshore spot.

The loading began on Thursday at Khorramshahr Yard. Abouzar 110 barge is to carry the structure that weighs over 2,700 tons.

Most of Iran's gas output comes from the joint South Pars gas field in Persian Gulf waters.

South Pars contains 40 trillion cubic meters (tcm) of natural gas.  It covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers are situated in Qatar’s territorial waters.

The gas field is estimated to contain about eight percent of the world’s reserves, and approximately 18 billion barrels of condensate.

The main phase of South Pars gas field came on-stream in March 2015, increasing Iran’s gas production by 100 mcm/d.

By SHANA