Salman Field Yields $1.2B in Two-Year Revenue

The shared Salman Field in the Lavan area has generated an additional $1.2 billion in national revenue over the past two years. This financial output stems from a specific operational strategy to maintain oil production in a mature reservoir where natural flow has ceased.

Operators have diverted high-pressure gas from the adjacent Salman gas field to power gas-lift systems in the oil wells. This substitution became necessary because the original turbo-compressors on platform Solar Mars 90 could not be repaired or maintained due to equipment age and restricted access to foreign parts.

Historical Revenue From Gas-Lift Operations

According to data cited by Mehr News Agency, this gas-injection method has been in use since March 2016. Over the subsequent decade, the strategy facilitated $21.5 billion in cumulative oil revenue. The economic rationale rests on the higher market value of crude oil compared to the associated gas used for injection.

The National Iranian Oil Company characterizes this approach as a conservation-oriented solution. By prioritizing oil extraction through gas lift, the company maximizes the return on the shared reservoir's resources before shifting focus to full-scale gas development.

Pipeline Infrastructure Expansion And Imports

Infrastructure upgrades are underway to support future gas transmission. A 150-kilometer, 30-inch pipeline connecting the Salman Field to Siri Island is ready for operation. To support a new pipeline project, 52,000 tons of specialized steel have been ordered from China.

Domestic production of these specific pipe specifications is currently impossible, necessitating the import. Approximately 20,000 tons, or 30 percent of the total requirement, have been manufactured. Of this amount, 8,039 tons have arrived at the Mahshahr yard, while 10,655 tons are undergoing customs clearance at Imam Khomeini Port.

Associated Gas Collection Contract Imminent

Efforts to collect associated gases from the Salman oil platform are entering a new phase. A draft contract has been prepared with a domestic petrochemical company and is expected to be signed shortly.

The agreement will facilitate the modernization of gas-lift equipment while systematically collecting the field's associated gases. Simultaneously, final stages of procurement for replacement turbines are underway, aiming to restore independent compression capabilities and reduce reliance on the gas reservoir for lift operations.