TEHRAN (PIN) -- Phases 9 and 10 of South Pars development projects in hydrocarbon-rich Assaluyeh port Bushehr will become operational by Nov. 21, announced managing director of Pars Special Economic Zone.

Abdoljalil Razavi expressed hope that phases 7 and 8 will come on stream next winter. He explained that the problem facing the phases is that sour natural gas has to be transferred to phases 4 and 5 for sweetening process which causes delay. Razavi noted that the overall project faces no financial shortfall but sanctions have had a more or less adverse impact. It is planned that phases 15, 16, 17, and 18 will be funded from the Oil Stabilization Fund, the official noted. Turning to the schedule, he said that the projects are moving in line with the planning and “we are only a little behind schedule”. South Pars is home to the world’s largest offshore gas field. Located in the strategic Persian Gulf and the largest known gas reserves, South Pars is shared between Iran and the tiny emirate of Qatar. It contains 1,900 TCF of in-situ gas and 56 billion barrels of condensate in place in the shared region. Production started in South Pars following the commissioning of Phase 2 in December 2002