Page 9 - MEOG Week 28 2022

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Biden warns US will not wait ‘forever’

for Iran to agree nuclear limits

IRAN PRESIDENT Joe Biden on July 14 warned Biden and Lapid signed a joint declaration
that the US will not wait “forever” for Iran to that reaffirms the US commitment to Israel’s
agree to new limits on its nuclear development security and its military edge over regional
programme. adversaries, and also the commitment “never to
“We’ve laid out for the leadership of Iran what allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon”.
we’re willing to accept,” Biden told reporters at a Biden has also pledged to keep Iran’s Islamic
news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the US
Lapid in Jerusalem, Bloomberg reported. The US “terrorism” list even if it leads to the demise of
was awaiting a response from Tehran, but “we’re the 2015 nuclear deal, or JCPOA, with Tehran.
not going to wait forever,” he added. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on
Lapid warned that Israel was prepared to July 14 that the Islamic Republic would mount
defend itself should Tehran get nearer to devel- a “harsh and regrettable response” to any “mis-
oping a nuclear weapon. take” committed by Washington or its allies.
Speaking in an interview with Israel’s Chan- “The great nation of Iran will not accept any
nel 12 TV that was recorded before he left Wash- insecurity or crisis in the region and Washington
ington for his Middle East tour, which will also and its allies should know that any mistake will
take him to the occupied West Bank and Saudi be met by a harsh and regrettable response from
Arabia, Biden said he would use force as a last Iran,” Raisi said during a speech, as reported by
resort to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear Reuters. Iran insists it has never had any ambi-
weapon. tion to make a nuclear bomb.™

PROJECTS & COMPANIES

Iran to increase gas

processing capabilities

IRAN IRAN has announced plans to increase its slate around 14 trillion cubic metres of gas and 18bn
of gas-based products with a view to ramping up barrels of gas condensates. In Qatar, the gas asset
exports. is known as the North Dome and is responsible
Speaking to local media this week, Ahmad for the vast majority of the peninsular nation’s
Bahoush, the managing director of South Pars production.
Gas Complex (SGPC) – a subsidiary of the Bahoush said that SGPC had processed more
National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC) – said that than 253mn barrels (693,000 barrels per day) of
projects would raise output from the facility’s condensate alongside 195bn cubic metres of gas.
gas and condensate refineries. The Phase 14 refinery was launched in March
Bahoush highlighted new LPG export facil- with a processing capacity of 14.2mn cubic
ities and a sulphur export dock and natural gas metres per day of gas and around 10,000 bpd of
sweetening and storage units at the South Pars condensates.
2 site at the Asalouyeh downstream hub. Asa- It will gradually ramp up to more than 56
louyeh is the location of the 14 gas refineries that mcm per day once the remaining three refining
comprise the downstream portion of the South units are commissioned by the end of Q1 2023.
Pars gas development project. The project is split Bahoush highlighted South Pars’ importance
into 24 offshore development phases and 14 to Iranian consumption. “Currently, the SPGC’s
onshore gas refineries which process the gas pro- share in the country’s gas production is more
duced offshore, though NIOC has begun explo- than 75%, and with the production and export
ration efforts to facilitate upstream expansion. of by-products such as propane, butane, gas con-
The South Pars deposit, which Iran shares densate and granulated sulphur, this complex
with Qatar, covers an area of 9,700 square km plays a very strategic role in the supply of such
with Iran’s 3,700-square km portion holding important products as well.”™

Week 28 13•July•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9