Iranian Section of Gas Pipeline to Pakistan Nearing Completion

Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi said that Tehran and Islamabad have signed a deal on launching the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline in 2014, adding that construction of the pipeline from Assalouyeh, onshore installations of South Pars gas field, to the border with Pakistan is nearing completion.

Qassemi said Pakistan is slated to start construction of the pipeline in its soil, “in which Iran will make investment”.

He expressed the hope that the Pakistani side would finish pipeline laying in its territory by 2014.

He further pointed to his ministry’s development plans in the refining sector, and said that refinery upgrading plans would be completed by the end of President Ahmadinejad’s tenure next spring.

“By the implementation of the second phase of a development plan at Shazand oil refinery, the refinery’s gasoline production capacity will rise by 8 million liters per day, a project that will come online in near future,” the minister said, and continued, “Development plan of Abadan oil refinery would come to an end by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (in March 2013), while the development plan of Tabriz oil refinery comes on line early next Iranian calendar year.”

Referring to the South Pars gas field potentials, the official said the gas field is the largest in the world holding considerable reserves of oil as well.

“Drilling an appraisal well deep into the oil layer of the South Pars gas field is underway and according to estimates nearly 30 thousand barrels of oil is to be extracted from the layer by the end of the current Iranian year,” he said.

“According to estimates, daily oil output would reach 100 thousand barrels once other parts of the oil layer are developed,” announced the minister.