20 MOUs Signed at 24th Oil Show
Iran's 24th annual oil show was held against the backdrop of tough US sanctions. It might be premature to make a precise assessment of the event. However, due to prosperity in business and the clients' confidence in Iranian companies and manufacturers, more than 20 memorandums were signed. The Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) was very active in the MOUs.
RIPI-IDRO MOU
RIPI and the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO) signed an MOU for developing Iran's oil, gas and petrochemical industries using RIPI technologies and IDRO engineering and industrial infrastructure. They also agreed to expand international cooperation.
Jafar Towfiqi, director of RIPI, said: "IDRO is a deep-seated organization and has been instrumental in various industries.
RIPI also signed an MOU with Exir Novin Farayand Asia with a view to updating the technical savvy for the process of isomerization. In addition to updating this process, cooperation in the market development and sale of technical savvy for the process were included in the memorandum.
Acetylene Hydrogenation Catalyst Nationalized
The Morvarid Petrochemical Company signed an MOU with the Sarv Oil and Gas Company for the industrial-scale production of hydrogenation catalyst of acetylene.
The Sarv company has, over four years of research and efforts, managed to cooperate with the Morvarid company in the domestic production of another important catalyst.
The acetylene hydrogenation catalyst is used for producing olefin. Given the development of olefin production plants, nationalization of this catalyst is highly significant.
Catalyst for Methanol
The first agreement for the supply of catalyst needed in the production of methanol was signed between the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company (PRTC) and the Sabalan Petrochemical Company.
The signing ceremony was overseen by Behzad Mohammadi, deputy minister of petroleum for petrochemical affairs, and Ali Pajouhan, deputy minister for engineering, research and technology.
Pajouhan said: "PRTC has been studying on the methanol process and catalyst for about ten years now."
He promised a high amount of methanol production in Iran in the near future, saying: "From 2025 onwards, this catalyst will be consumed at about 1,200 tonnes a year. Each 1.6-million-tonne plant consumes between 280 and 300 tonnes of catalyst worth about $5 million."
Pajouhan said all strategic and widely consumed catalysts used in the petrochemical industry would have been totally nationalized by March 2021.
Gasoil Desulfurization Catalyst
RIPI and Nitel Pars Co. signed an agreement to develop technical savvy for desulfurization catalysts used in gasoil.
Towfiqi said a costly issue for the downstream petroleum industry is the purchase of catalysts and the sophisticated technical knowhow used in them.
"Given the high consumption of catalysts throughout year, one of our projects is to develop technical savvy for the catalysts needed in the refining, petrochemical and gas industries."
Farshid Nourbakhsh, CEO of Nitel Pars Co., said the agreement would be worth IRR 2,500 million in the first stage.
He said development of a formula for the desulfurization of naphtha, kerosene and gasoline would start next year in cooperation with RIPI.
Polymer Gel Injection into Oil Wells
An agreement was signed between RIPI and the Iran Offshore Oil Company (IOOC) to control water through injecting polymer gel into oil wells. That would be the first time such a technology is to be used in Iran's petroleum industry.
Towfiqi said a major challenge in production from oil wells was excessive water production. "By reducing water production at wells it would be possible to apply a more optimal management of production in the petroleum industry," he added.
Hamid Bovard, CEO of IOOC, said injection of polymer gels into oil wells to control their water production would be used for the first time in Iran.
Iran to Commercialize ANG
Another agreement signed during the Oil Show was between RIPI and the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) for the production and industrialization of nanocarbon absorbents of CNG tanks with a view to upgrading their safety and reducing the costs of fuel tank of gas-fuelled cars.
Towfiqi said utilization of ANG technology has such advantages as the attraction of natural gas and reduction of fuel tank pressure.
Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) technology is the use of a highly porous adsorbent material to densely store natural gas molecules at low pressures (900 psi and below). Under controlled depressurization, these molecules release and exit the storage system in response to the demand of the vehicle's engine.
RIPI, NIOC Exploration Directorate Sign 2 Deals
RIPI signed two deals with National Iranian Oil Company Exploration Directorate to use nanotechnology for reducing friction and lubrication of drilling strings and also to use drilling fluids to spare formation of any harm.
Towfiqi said RIPI had a long history of cooperation with various petroleum industry companies in drilling, fluids and drilling tools.
"NIOC Exploration Directorate, relying on RIPI, has assigned the research institute for the first time to conduct such projects," he said.
Saleh Hendi, NIOC exploration director, said drilling accounts for 70% of development and production costs in the upstream sector.
"The quality and timeframe of implementing project could be very important in this sector," he added.
NISOC Fields to Undergo Study
National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) signed agreements with four Iranian consulting companies for conducting comprehensive studies on six reservoirs of NISOC.
Under these agreements, Tehran Energy Consulting Group will study the Asmari reservoir of the Haftkal field, as well as the Bangestan reservoir of the Binak field.
Meantime, Magma Energy will study the Asmari reservoir of the Mansourabad field and the Asmari/Jahrom reservoir of the Nargesi field.