TEHRAN, Jan. 27 (Shana) � Managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) says phases 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the supergiant South Pars gas field will become operational during the next Iranian calendar year which begins on March 21.

Ali Akbar Shabanpour said the sanctions' removal hastens delivery of the required items and equipment for completion of the projects.
The gas field, divided into 24 development phases, holds 40 tcm of natural gas, or 21% of world�s total gas reserves, and 50 billion barrels of condensate.

Shabanpour said phase 19 to 21 of the gas field are prioritized over other phases for launching next year and phases 17 and 18 will become fully operational before March 2017.
After inauguration of the phases, projects at phases 22, 23, 24, 13 and 14 of the field will become the first priorities.

Iran is to launch the first refinery train of phases 20 and 21 of the supergiant South Pars gas field by the end of the current Iranian calendar year to March 20.
South Pars field, which Iran shares with Qatar in the Persian Gulf, is estimated to contain a significant amount of natural gas, accounting for about eight percent of the world�s reserves.

South Pars 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.

By SHANA