TEHRAN, Aug 22 (Shana) � The high priority projects for development of phases 20 and 21 of South Pars have shown physical progress of 89.33 percent this year.

Once the project is operational, 56 million cubic meters gas will be extracted from South Pars joint field.

The platform for phase 21 with the capacity to refine 28 million cubic meters of gas was fixed in its location in Persian Gulf in early July and it will come on the stage of production in fall season.

Also, based on the schedule, the platform for phase 20 will be fixed in its location one month later.

For the time being, drilling of 22 wells for phase 21 has been over and for 22 more wells for phase 20 is in its final stage. So, total drilling for the phases have thus far shown 97.4 percent progress.

Once phases 20 and 21 are operational, daily extraction of gas from them will reach 56 million cubic meters, of gas condensates to 77,000 barrels, of LPG to 2,900 tons, of sulfur to 400 tons, and of ethane to 2,750 tons.

Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zanganeh had said that late this year or early next year Iran's extraction from SouthPars joint field will equal that of Qatar.

Once the 11th government came in power, Iran used to extract 240 million cubic meters of gas a day from SouthPars but late this year, the amount of extraction will reach 360 million cubic meters a day following operation of phases 12, 15, 16, and 17 of South Pars.

Based on the timetable, this year, phases 19, 20, 21 and 18 will come on stream and it is predicted that gas production from SouthPars will reach 530 million cubic meters a day once they are operational.

Minister of Petroleum said that in combination, Qatar has extracted gas from the joint field twice that of Iran and that's the part Iran has lost. "So, it should be born in mind that for a project time is as important as money and capital," he added.

By SHANA