Iran plans to launch phases 20 and 21 of the South Pars Gas Field by mid-March 2017, a report said.

The phases will go on-stream with a daily production capacity of 50 million cu m (mcm) of natural gas, Iran Daily quoted Behzad Mohammadi, managing director of Oil Industries' Engineering and Construction Group (OIEC) as saying, citing Shana.

"Drilling operations in 11 wells of Phase 21 will be complete within a month while 11 wells in Phase 20 will be concluded by mid-summer," said Mohammadi.

Topsides of the two phases will be fully installed at designated spots by late-December, he added, noting that gas can be extracted from 16 wells of 22 wells of the two phases.