Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh announced that three more phases of the South Pars project will go on stream in the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2014). Speaking to FNA in the Southern Assalouyeh city in Bushehr province and during a visit to phases 12, 17 and 18 phases, the oil minister said, "Phase 12 is one of the important and big phases of the South Pars and its completion is important." The Iranian oil minister, who is touring the various parts of the South Pars development phases along with First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri today, pointed to the phases 17, 18 of the giant gas field, and said, "Construction of Phases 17, 18 of the South Pars has had more than 82 percent of progress." He underlined that the Iranian government is determined to complete the pending phases of the South Pars and will achieve part of this goal this year. The Iranian oil minister noted that the government has invested over $6.9 billion in Phase 12 and over $5.6 billion in Phases 17 and 18. Iran’s natural gas output currently stands at 500-550mln cubic meters per day, he said, and added phase 12 of the South Pars, when fully completed, will see domestic gas production rise by 15 percent (80mln cubic meters). Last month, Zanganeh underlined the need for the acceleration of work in Phase 12 of South Pars gas field. Zanganeh called on the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) to mobilize its forces for the operation of Phase 12 of the giant reservoir which Iran shares with Qatar. The minister told contractors during his recent visit to South Pars that gas production from the offshore section of Phase 12 must be prioritized. He said two desalting units in Phase 12 would come online in March 2014, adding that these units are of great importance for fuel supply in the winter. Zanganeh said Iran’s gas industry is bracing for its hardest ever year in terms of gas supply. “We have to make efforts to launch a section of this phase as soon as possible. Based on our plans, South Pars Refining Complex affiliated with NIGC can help Petropars Company which is operating the project,” he said. Zanganeh said contractors must always think that international sanctions on the oil industry are not being lifted. “Important petroleum industry projects must not be delayed due to waiting for the lifting of sanctions. The necessary commodities must be supplied in whatsoever manner and be installed in the project,” he added. Zanganeh said delayed development of South Pars has caused gas shortage even in the winter. “For example, during the first half of the current (calendar) year, we burnt 12 billion liters of fuel oil and gasoil in the country’s gas-fuelled power plants.” The South Pars gas field, divided into 28 phases, is located in the Persian Gulf on the common border between Iran and Qatar. The field is estimated to hold 14 trillion cubic meters of gas as well as 18 billion barrels of condensates. The field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which lie in Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers, better known as the North Dome, are located in Qatar's territorial waters.