Output Halts at Iran Gas Platform after Nearby Fire

Gas production was shut down at Platform 16 ( SP Phase(s) 15-16 ) in Iran's South Pars field in the Persian Gulf after a fire broke out nearby when lightning ignited leaking gas, the operating company said on Saturday.

"The gas emitted at the water level (from a leaking undersea pipeline) was ignited by lightning 15 km (9 miles) from the platform," the Pars Oil and Gas Company said in a statement on its website.

The fire was contained after production was shut down at the platform and planning for repair work has begun, it said.

Iran has struggled to keep its ageing oil and gas fields operational and to maintain its creaking infrastructure with its own limited funds as the country is deprived of access to foreign investment due to U.S. sanctions. - Reuters, Shana