Shabanpour said that by the date phases 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of South Pars gas field will be operational. So far Iran failed to take its equal shares from the joint fields in the Persian Gulf due to technical shortfalls.
He said operation of five standard phases in a year is something unprecedented and it is the advantage of the policies of the Ministry of Petroleum for speedy development of the joint fields with neighboring states.
He said that after implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and as international exchanges inaugurated, measures should be taken soon for increase in the oil and gas production.
The official announced that many opportunities have been provided in the post-JCPOA era and many foreign companies have been frequenting in Iran since then on different occasions, including the 21st Tehran Oil Show, and Iranian officials have held lengthy talks with them.
He added that foreign companies are in race to win opportunities of investment in Iran.
Shabanpour told IRNA recently that Qatar's gas production had been fixed at 177 billion cubic meters in the past three years. Iran's gas output from South Pars showed remarkable increase, standing at 132 billion cubic meters, he added.
Shabanpour said that in 2013, Qatar's production was twice that of Iran but after operation of the new phases, the gap was narrow.
He added that with operation of the new SP phases, Iran's gas output will exceed 500 million cubic meters a day.
1420**1416
www.irna.ir