The Bandar Abbas oil refinery started building a section to desalt water for the supply of 250,000 liters/hour of fresh water. The project was completed in 2018
refinery had to supply more gasoil and fuel oil to power armored personnel carriers and tanks. That was when the Lavan refining complex was established in order to supply products of higher quality. The Merax unit was designed in 1989 by UOP with a capacity of 6,000 b/d. It was launched by Chyoda in order to produce sweet naphtha. In 1994, with the implementation of crude oil distillation unit capacity enhancement and kerosene rotary pumping system, the crude oil distillation unit saw its capacity rise from 20,000 b/d to 30,000 b/d. In parallel, more products were supplied and volume of losses was reduced. The Lavan oil refining company started building a light naphtha hydrotreating and isomerization unit in 2007, which ended in 2018. The major objective sought in this project was to improve the process and quality of products and optimize capacity. Reducing air pollution and safeguarding the environment were among other achievements of the project.Anti-Freeze ProductionThe Tehran oil refining company was established before the Islamic Revolution. The first unit of this facility was launched in 1967 with a capacity of 85,000 b/d. The second unit of the refinery was launched in 1973 with a capacity of 100,000 b/d. After the Islamic Revolution, the refinery was improved in two phases. The facility currently processes 250,000 b/d of crude oil. It has already started producing Euro-4 and Euro-5 gasoil. In parallel with improving the quality of products, the Tehran oil refinery has also sought to become self-sufficient. Currently between 80% and 90% of equipment used at the refinery is sourced domestically. Most old equipment like pumps and turbines are being repaired by local engineers. The refinery has also managed to produce anti-freeze in air fuel.Water Production and RecoveryWater is a basic need for development in human societies. Iran is among nations where water supply for various uses is a major cause of concern for politicians looking for sustainable development. That is why the major refineries in Iran, including Bandar Abbas, Tehran, Isfahan and Abadan, have put water production and recovery projects on the agenda. The Bandar Abbas oil refinery started building a section to desalt water for the supply of 250,000 liters/hour of fresh water. The project was completed in 2018, creating 2,500 jobs-days. This refinery will be also engaged in sour water stripping. The sour water stripper removes hydrogen sulfide and ammonia from the sour water generated in the refinery. The sour water is received from the refinery in the flash drum, where light hydrocarbons are flashed off. The sour water is then fed to the feed prep tank, where the feed is mixed and stabilized. Liquid hydrocarbons entrained in the sour water are removed in the feed prep tank.The sour water is then heated in the feed/bottoms exchanger and fed to the stripper column. Steam, generated in the reboiler, heats the water and strips the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) from the water. The stripped water from the column is cooled in the feed/bottoms exchanger and in the stripped water cooler, and returned to the refinery. The H2S and NH3 removed from the sour water is cooled in the pump-around cooler system or in an overhead condenser system and sent to the sulfur recovery unit for further processing. The Tehran oil company has contributing to saving 200 cubic meters per hour of water and supplying fresh water to 24,000 persons. The Isfahan oil refining company has established a pumping station to save 150 cubic meters per hour of water and supply fresh water to 18,000 persons. Among other objectives sought at this pumping station are production of industrial water, adoption of policies to recycle urban wastewater for industrial purposes and checking provincial water resources dipping. NIOPDC AchievementsDuring the four decades following the victory of Islamic Revolution, numerous measures have been taken by National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC). A brief review of them sheds light on the extent of activities in this sector of petroleum industry. Startup and operation of a 22-million-subsrcibrer smart fuel system megaproject;Startup and development of CNG industry with 2,489 CNG stations and capacity of 2.886 mcm; Distribution of green fuel (CNG), creating safety in the fuel mix and reducing gasoil and gasoline production;Allocating a 19% share to CNG in the fuel mix of vehicles;National distribution of Euro-4 and Euro-5 gasoil and gasoline at gas station in big cities and major routes for the purpose of mitigating environmental pollution; Multiplication of the number of gas stations from 328 in 1978 to 3,724 in 2018; and Founding and implementing an environmental megaproject to gather gasoline vapors at gas stations, oil tankers and oil storage facilities and the recovery of 360,000 liters a day of gasoline