TEHRAN – Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) has completed major maintenance on 16 of the 35 offshore gas platforms scheduled for overhaul this year in the giant South Pars field, a senior oil official said.

Sepahdar Abbaszadeh, deputy for operations and support at POGC, told the oil ministry’s news agency Shana that overhauls are carried out in the first half of the year to prepare for peak winter demand.

The company supplies more than 70 percent of the country’s natural gas and over 40 percent of its gasoline.

He said one platform is currently undergoing maintenance and the remaining 18 will be completed by late October.

So far, 6,150 work orders have been executed, requiring 54,759 man-hours.

The tasks include replacing 32-inch bends, repairing 15-ton valves, inspecting high-pressure tanks, testing control systems, servicing flare ignition systems, and calibrating safety valves.

Abbaszadeh said gas output continues during maintenance, with only two to four platforms offline at any time.

Operations take place in harsh summer conditions in the Persian Gulf, he added.

Addressing the impact of sanctions, he said more than 90 percent of required parts are now produced domestically, with Iranian companies reverse-engineering and manufacturing items previously imported.

All unavailable foreign parts have been replaced with high-quality local products, ensuring uninterrupted production.

He added that even during a recent 12-day conflict, repairs and production continued without interruption, despite logistical challenges such as the suspension of helicopter flights.

Personnel and equipment were transported by vessel, and some workers travelled up to 48 hours by land to reach the field on the Iran-Qatar maritime border.

Abbaszadeh praised the resilience of oil and gas workers, noting that almost all households in Iran now have access to natural gas, and the ministry aims to further strengthen supply in coming years.

EF/MA