Iran reviews development steps at South Pars

Five facilities to process natural gas from the South Pars complex in the Persian Gulf should be on stream by November, an Iranian official said Wednesday.

Mohammad-Reza Akbari, an executive with general energy contractor Petropars, said platforms tied to the field should be loaded in May and additional processing facilities should enter into service by November, Shana, the Oil Ministry's official news agency, reported.

South Pars, which Iran shares with Qatar, is the largest natural gas complex in the world and accounts for 35 percent of Iran's total natural gas production.

Iran aims to develop South Pars through 24 separate phases.

The government has expressed frustration with the pace at which its international counterparts were developing the gas complex. Earlier this month, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Mansour Moazami said China National Petroleum Corp. was at risk of losing its $4.7 billion contract for South Pars development because it wasn't living up to the government's expectations.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said sanctions relief secured through a Western nuclear deal should bring more investors to the country's energy sector. U.S. officials have said, however, that Iran is not open for business.

[SHANA]