Pressure boosting plan in "Hub 1" of South Pars gas field kicks off

TEHRAN- The pressure boosting plan for "Hub 1" of the joint South Pars gas field has entered the implementation phase with the aim of maintaining production capacity, preventing reservoir pressure drop, resolving the country's gas imbalance, and safeguarding Iran's share in this gas field.

According to IRNA, the South Pars pressure boosting plan began in May 2023 (Ordibehesht 1402) with the awarding of Basic and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contracts for this plan in the form of 17 separate work packages to Iranian consulting companies in cooperation with international consultants.

The contracts for this plan were signed on March 8, 2025 (18 Esfand 1403) in the presence of the President and senior managers of the oil industry, with four domestic companies acting as principals.

In this regard, with the aim of preventing pressure drop in the South Pars gas field, increasing the recovery factor from the joint reservoir, and helping to resolve the country's gas imbalance, the Basic and FEED studies for the pressure boosting plan of "Hub 1" have begun based on a hybrid (onshore-offshore) scenario.

According to the Petropars Group, Hamidreza Saghafi, CEO of Petropars, stated in this regard: "This plan has been initiated with the aim of maximizing the use of domestic capabilities, preventing the waste of national capital, and accelerating the implementation of the South Pars pressure boosting project, so that in the short term, through onshore pressure boosting, it can play an effective role in the sustainable supply of gas and help resolve the gas imbalance, especially during the cold months, and in the long term, by completing offshore facilities, it will ensure the final recovery of the reservoir."

Saghafi stated that the pressure boosting operation will be carried out in two phases, saying: "In the first phase, which is considered the short-term and mid-term solution of the plan, 9 compressors, each with a capacity of 333 million standard cubic feet per day, along with the required ancillary facilities, will be installed in the onshore refinery of Phase 12."

He noted: "This part will replace the first stage of pressure boosting (MP) offshore and will be implemented to accelerate execution, maximize the use of domestic capability in engineering, procurement, and construction of facilities, prevent gas migration and waste of national capital, and help resolve the country's gas imbalance, especially during the cold season."

The oil and gas industry manager said: "In the second phase, which is the long-term solution, three years after the implementation of the first phase onshore, the offshore pressure boosting operation (LP) will be operational in the form of two 'Mini-Hub 1-1' and 'Mini-Hub 1-2' complexes, each with a capacity of 1,000 million cubic feet per day, to achieve final recovery from the reservoir."

The CEO of Petropars Group, referring to the first executive step of this national plan, said: "On June 18, 2026 (28 Khordad 1405), the contract for the construction of the four-legged jacket for the 'RP-1' riser platform, weighing approximately 2,500 tons, was awarded to the Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company (IOEC); this structure will be installed adjacent to the SPD12A platform and is shared with the development plan of the joint Balal gas field."

He added: "The purpose of designing and installing this structure is to transfer the produced gas from the SPD12A platform to the pressure boosting complex at Mini-Hub 1-1, receive the boosted gas from Mini-Hub 1-1 and transfer it to the pressure boosting facilities of the onshore Phase 12 refinery via the SPD12A platform's 32-inch subsea pipeline, as well as to transfer the gas from the Balal field development plan to the onshore Phase 12 refinery through this same subsea pipeline."

Saghafi predicted that the contract for constructing the deck (topside) of this platform will be awarded to a qualified domestic contractor by the end of July 2026 (end of Tir 1405).

The CEO of Petropars Group concluded: “Given the appropriate progress of engineering studies, the contract for purchasing long-lead items and constructing the main pressure boosting facilities will be awarded to qualified manufacturers and contractors in the autumn of 2026.”

The South Pars gas field is considered the largest joint gas field in the world, shared between Iran and Qatar.

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