The South Pars natural gas complex is an energy lifeline for Iran

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — For the second time, Israel has attacked Iran’s South Pars natural gas and its associated petrochemical complex - an energy lifeline for Iran that both helps keep the lights on for civilians and provides a key source of export earnings.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Israel attacked a key petrochemical plant at Asaluyeh, the onshore industrial aspect of the gas field, which lies under the Persian Gulf.

Katz said the “powerful strike” hit what he called “the largest petrochemical facility in Iran … responsible for about 50% of the country’s petrochemical production.” Combined with an earlier attack, two facilities responsible for 85% of Iran’s petrochemical exports have been taken out of service, he said.

Attacks on South Pars are sufficiently provocative to Iran that an earlier Israeli attack on March 18 prompted Iran to target energy infrastructure in other Middle East countries in response, an escalation of the war that sent new shockwaves across the region and beyond.

After the March attack, U.S.

President Donald Trump said that Israel would not attack South Pars again, but warned on social media that if Iran continued attacking key energy infrastructure in Qatar, the United States would retaliate and “massively blow up the entirety” of the field.

Here are things to know about the South Pars natural gas field and its associated industries making chemicals using gas as a raw material: Iran’s share of the world’s largest gas field provides both domestic energy and export earnings.

South Pars is Iran’s biggest source of domestic energy in a country that sometimes struggles to produce enough electricity.

The gas field under the Persian Gulf — the world’s largest — is shared by Iran and Qatar.

It’s called South Pars on the Iranian side and the North Field on the Qatari side.

Iran relies heavily on gas to produce electricity and heat homes.

It is the fourth-largest consumer of natural gas in the world, behind the U.S., China and Russia, according to the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, even though its economy is much smaller.

In contrast to other Middle East countries, it uses gas for heating due to its cold climate and much of that use is subsidized, which discourages efficient use.

Read More Abundant, affordable gas from South Pars fuels industries making chemicals for export While the South Pars gas is important at home, the petrochemical plant is a source of export earn

原文链接: AP News