TEHRAN, June 08 (Shana) -- Plans are under way to launch phases 17 and 18 of the supergiant South Pars gas field during the H2 of the current calendar year which began on March 20, a senior energy official said.

Managing Director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) Ali Akbar Shabanpour said the two phases will become productive once the last two platforms of the phases are installed at their designated spots over the offshore phases.

Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Co (ISOICO) is constructing the two platforms at Khorramshahr yard in Bandar Abbas, south of Iran.

"Once the two platforms are installed, production and recovery of gas will start from the phases," Shabanpour said.

He said drilling operations are going on in Section B of the two phases according to the schedule and the two platforms will installed over the phases before the end of the current year.

South Pars is part of a wider gas field that is shared with Qatar. The larger field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in Iran's territorial waters (South Pars) in the Persian Gulf. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers, referred to as the North Dome, are in Qatar's territorial waters.

The Iranian gas field contains 14 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, about 8 percent of the world's reserves, and more than 18 billion barrels of condensate resources.

By SHANA