Page 16 - DMEA Week 03 2021

DMEA REFINING DMEA

Iran brings $3.4bn gas

refinery on stream

IRAN IRANIAN President Hassan Rouhani has cut at the Aghajari fields. The plant will also turn out
the ribbon on a $3.4bn gas refinery in Bidboland, 0.6mn tpy of condensate.
The plant will in the south-west Khuzestan region. All in all, the plant should generate $1.5bn
significantly reduce The plant runs on associated gas extracted at per year of revenue, including $700mn from
Iranian gas flaring oilfields that until now has been flared, state tel- exports. Its construction, which began in 2015,
volumes, officials say. evision reported on January 21. It can handle up was funded by the state-run National Develop-
to 56mn cubic metres per day of gas, including ment Fund through a group of banks.
13.5mn tonnes per year of sour gas and 2.25mn “This refinery is capable of collecting the
tpy of sweet gas, the Iranian oil ministry’s Shana whole associated gas in three provinces of Khuz-
news agency reported. estan, Kogilouyeh-Boyrahmad and Bushehr,”
Iran was the world’s fourth-biggest gas flarer Bidboland’s managing director, Mahmoud
in 2019, the World Bank said in a report on July Aminnejad, said at the ceremony.
2020. The plant will initially receive associated
“At full capacity, around 60% of our flaring gas from the East Karun oilfields, followed by
gas will be taken care of by Bidboland and won’t the West Karun fields at a later stage. It will also
be burned,” Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh produce 500,000 tpy of pentane plus, which
said at the launch ceremony. “Around 15% of the will be used to develop 15,000 barrels per day
flaring gas will be taken by a project in Marun (bpd) of gasoline at a mini-refinery, according
and in 2023, our flaring gas will near zero.” to Zanganeh.
The project will annually produce 10.4mn Iran boasts the second-largest proven gas
tonnes of purified methane for injection into the reserves at 32 trillion cubic metres, most of
national gas grid. It will also produce 1.5mn tpy which is found at the South Pars field in the Per-
of ethane, which will serve as feedstock at petro- sian Gulf. Speaking at the event, President Rou-
chemicals plants in Mahshahr and Gachsaran. hani lamented that Iran had not fulfilled its gas
Iran is looking to build up its petrochemicals export potential.
sector to add value to its resources and diversify “We are behind in gas exports. We should be
its economy. one of the top five gas exporters in the world,” he
A further 1mn tpy of propane and 0.5mn said. “The world is in need of Iran’s oil and gas.
tpy of butane will be exported, while 0.9mn We can become the region’s hub in production
tonnes of acid gas will be injected into oil wells and exports of electricity or gas.” ™

P16 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 03 21•January•2021