Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 26/ Trend M. Moezzi/
Helium production at joint Iranian-Qatari South Pars gas and oil field could start next year, Shana news agency quoted Mousa Souri, South Pars Gas Company's chief as saying.
Studies of South Pars' helium reserves have been completed by a foreign company. After the results are analyzed they will be reported to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), said Souri.
If approved by the NIOC's directors, work to separate helium from natural gas could start next year (Iran's solar year ends on March 20).
The South Pars field has the world's biggest reserves of helium, holding 28 percent of the total supply. It is followed by Russia with 27 percent of world reserves and the United States with 26 percent, the South Pars Gas company chief said.
Qatar, who shares the South Pars field with Iran, is drawing 25 million cubic meters of helium from the field annually. It is the world's fifth biggest helium producer and has set an annual production target of 58 million cubic meters which would make it the world's second producer of the gas.
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