RIPI, Germany's Raschig Sign Technology MOU
Germany’s Raschig GmbH has signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran’s Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) on the transfer of technology to Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical industries.
Michael Schultes, Raschig’s technical director, and Mansour Bazmi, the head of RIPI’s Technology and International Relations Department, signed the agreement in Tehran.
"This company is among the most reputable ones in the world and many industries are cooperating with it," Bazmi said of Raschig.
He said that the preliminary deal is centered on providing Iran with the know-how to design and build distillation units at refineries and petrochemical plants based on Raschig’s equipment.
The German firm will also hold training courses in Tehran as part of the agreement.
“RIPI has carried out extensive research on the design of distillation units, and collaboration with Raschig will help us push the boundaries,” Bazmi said.
“After initial assessments, we found Iran to be a suitable partner for trade and the commercialization of our products,” Schultes said. “We are a service provider for distillation units in Germany and many other countries.”
Raschig GmbH provides fine chemicals, high performance thermoset resins, fast-acting road repair materials, and process technology equipment.
The company offers electroplating chemicals, such as additives for nickel baths, acid copper baths, acid zinc baths, alkaline zinc baths, intermediates, surfactants, and nickel strippers; special additives that include hydrolysis stabilizers, viscosity modifiers for polyesters, and epoxides/glycidyl ethers; and special monomers, including stabilizers for waterborne polyurethane dispersions, and acrylates/methacrylates.
OPEC Extends Supply Cuts Deal
OPEC and a Russia-led group of big oil producers agreed to keep limiting their output through the end of 2018 as they seek to provide assurance for an oil industry still working through a fragile recovery.
The agreement was reached during the 173rd ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna.
The producers’ current deal, under which they are cutting supply by about 1.8 mb/d in an effort to boost oil prices, expires in March 2018.
OPEC also decided to cap the combined output of Nigeria and Libya at 2017 levels below 2.8 mb/d. Both countries have been exempt from cuts due to unrest and lower-than-normal production.
Before the meeting, Iran's Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said an extension of the deal would be a sign of unity and solidarity between OPEC and non-OPEC allies.
"Over the past year, oil inventories have declined by around 180 million barrels and they will continue to decline," Zangeneh said.
"OPEC members do not seek to cause problems for oil consumers; however, oil price volatility will benefit neither producers nor consumers," he added.
When asked by CNN whether Iran's oil production had remained under 4 mb/d due to the OPEC deal or it planned to raise output, Zangeneh said: "We remain committed to OPEC's decisions. Of course, you need to take into consideration that oil production capacity is different from the capacity of oil supply to market. These two issues are totally different."
Before leaving Vienna, Zangeneh said the 173rd meeting wherein producers and consumers concluded that they favored the continuation of the current stable situation, was very calm.
OPEC and Russia together account for over 40 percent of global oil production. Moscow’s cooperation with OPEC has been crucial in roughly halving an excess of global oil stocks since January.
A joint OPEC and non-OPEC communique said the next meeting in June 2018 would present an opportunity to adjust the agreement based on market conditions.
Since the pact started a year ago, global inventories have fallen and prices rose by
Gas Exports to Neighbors Continuing Smoothly
Turkey, Iraq and Armenia are the three main buyers of Iran's gas. Delivery of gas to these countries is under way smoothly.
Saeed Tavakoli, CEO of the Iran Gas Transmission Company, said Iran exported a total 5.4 bcm of gas, or 30 mcm/d, to Turkey during the first half of the current calendar year (started in March 2017).
"Our contract with Turkey is annualized, under which we have to deliver a specified amount of gas to Turkey during a full year," he said. "Therefore, when domestic consumption goes up, for instance at peak shaving in winter, we reduce exports to Turkey by benefiting from this advantage of the contract."
Tavakoli said Iran exported 8 bcm of gas to Turkey in the last calendar year.
He also said that Iran is required to pump between 7 and 25 mcm/d of gas to Baghdad. He added that Iran had delivered a total 1.2 bcm of gas to Iraq's capital since gas delivery to Baghdad started in June.
"Currently, 14 mcm/d of gas is sent to Baghdad to feed power plants. An increase in this volume depends on domestic gas consumption," he said.
Tavakoli added that gas exports to Iraq are done through the Iran Gas Trunkline 6 (IGAT 6).
He said that Iran was ready to export gas to Iraq's Basra, too. "The Shalamcheh terminal is envisaged for gas exports to Basra. Gas has been injected into the Ahvaz-Shalamcheh pipeline, and as soon as the Iraqi side expressed its readiness we will start exporting. Like the Baghdad agreement, it is possible to raise the volume of delivery [to Basra] to 25 mcm/d."
Tavakoli also touched on gas exports to Armenia, saying Iran exported 250 mcm of gas to Armenia during the first eight months of the current calendar year to receive electricity in exchange.
"Based on an agreement signed between the two countries, Iran exports its gas to Armenia and in return it receives electricity," said Tavakoli.
He said that Iran exports 1 mcm/d of gas to Armenia through a 110-kilometer pipeline stretching from the northwestern city of Tabriz.
Tavakoli said that Iran exported 365 mcm of gas to Armenia in the last calendar year.
He added that the pipeline had capacity to handle 2.3 bcm of gas a year.
Norway Helping Iran with Shipbuilding
The head of National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) has said Norwegian companies are helping Iran with shipbuilding projects.
Addressing an Iran-Norway maritime seminar in Oslo, Sirous Kian Ersi said Norwegian manufacturers of ship parts and equipment had been cooperating with the NITC since 20 years ago.
He added that boarder ties between Iran and Norway required development of banking relations between them.
"In light of Iran's navigation renovation plans, Norwegian firms are on the list of suppliers of equipment and parts needed by ships," said Kian Ersi.
He said that the NITC also planned to develop its fleet for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Referring to the enforceability of the law for reduction of the sulfur content of ship fuels in 2020, Kian Ersi said: "In compliance with international regulations, the NITC has signed an agreement with the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) with a view to reducing the sulfur content of ship fuels."
Iran Methanol Exports to Hit 15mn Tones
Iran's methanol exports are expected to reach 15 million tones in five year, the head of Tamin Petroleum & Petrochemical Investment Co. (TAPPICO) has said.
"Iran's petrochemical industry has in recent years faced various challenges like international sanctions, increased production and supply of shale from North America and energy carriers' price decline," Mohammad Hassan Peyvandi said.
"Despite these challenges, Iran has been successful in methanol production in recent years and its methanol exports would reach 15 million tones in five years," he said, adding that methanol-to-propylene production units were under way.
Peyvandi said Iran enjoyed a good position for investment in gas conversion industry, methanol production and completion of value chain. "The gas feedstock price is a major advantage of petrochemical industry and investment in this industry."
"With a view to creating jobs and developing the petrochemical industry, we are making efforts to master downstream industry technologies and complete the natural gas-based mix of products, which would also help us develop intermediate products," he added.