Iran Trebles PET Exports
CEO of Shahid Tondguyan Petrochemical Company Reza Qasemi Shahri said polyethylene terephthalate (PET) exports tripled last calendar year on an annual basis.
Addressing the Annual General Assembly of the company, he said: “Last calendar year, some 1.14 million tonnes of varieties of PET chain products were produced at Shahid Tondguyan Petrochemical Company,” he said.
“We exported about 46,000 tonnes of products to world markets, which was three times higher year-on-year,” he said.
He added that last calendar year was the year with the biggest output since commissioning petrochemical company.
“During the first four months of last calendar year, it was possible to produce more than 100,000 tonnes of products at this petrochemical company and we registered a 109,000-tonne output capacity,” he said.
Shahri also said that during a five-month period, the plant produced at full nominal capacity. He said the company’s plan was to increase output with a view to supplying domestic industrial needs and completing value chains.
He touched on the sales and export of more than 618,000 tonnes of products in domestic and international markets, saying: “Domestic PET sales reached 573,000 tonnes last calendar year, the highest in four years.”
Shahri said the jump in products had been achieved after fully supplying domestic needs and registering highest ever records in sales.
SP1 Platform Overhaul Ends
Mehdi Rajabi, director of production operations at South Pars Phase 1 platform, announced the completion of annual overhaul.
“With the conclusion of the overhaul, gas production at this platform reached the full capacity of 28 mcm/d,” he said.
Noting that the overhaul operation lasted 28 days, Rajabi said that the overhaul was done according to the predetermined schedule.
He said that no serious challenge was caused by the Covid-19 outbreak within the Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC).
Rajabi said safe and sustainable gas production in winter was the major objective of the annual overhaul of South Pars platforms. He added: “In ongoing annual overhauls, segments of pipelines were reported to be in critical conditions after examination by the technical inspection unit of the Directorate of Production and Operations.”
“Following the supply of equipment, various teams particularly welders, installers and operators, the platform started full operation,” he added.
Loading Arm Separated at Kharg Terminal
Abbas Assadrouz, CEO of the Iran Oil Terminals Company (IOTC), has announced the completion of operations for separating the loading arms of a jetty in the Kharg oil terminal for overhaul.
He said that the loading arm number 2 of the eastern jetty of the terminal was separated by IOTC experts based on their pre-determined schedule.
He added that the overhaul was aimed at improving crude oil exports by developing infrastructure and equipment in the largest export terminal in the country.
Assadrouz underlined the necessity of supporting domestic manufacturing, saying the loading arm would be transferred to the mechanical reparation workshop at the Kharg oil terminal so that further action would be taken for separating defective sections and replacing them with new and domestically-manufactured ones.
The overhaul of this arm includes separation, dismounting, transfer to workshop, dismantling, inspection, replacement, assembly, transfer and reinstallation.
RIPI Inks Two MOUs
The Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) has signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with two Iranian companies in a bid to assess the capabilities of fledging groups and providing research services.
The first MOU was signed between Jafar Tofiqi, director of RIPI and Kambiz Sedqianizadeh, CEO of Farab Oil and Gas Projects Development Company, for assessing the capability of knowledge-based companies and helping supply their lab needs.
Cooperation for marketing and development of business by knowledge-based companies and startups, establishing communications with oil, gas, refining and petrochemical projects operators are targeted at this MOU.
Furthermore, RIPI would identify the technological needs and cooperate throughout commercialization in order to help market technological products.
Farab Oil and Gas Projects Development Company will identify qualified groups for setting up startups and their empowerment.
Balaroud Oil Field Awarded to NIDC
Abdollah Mousavi, CEO of National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) said the state-owned firm had won the tender bid held for the development of the Balaroud oil field.
He said seven Iranian companies had bid for the development of the Balaroud field. NIDC was announced winner after technical review of its proposal.
Located in Khuzestan Province, Balaroud would be developed in two phases.
Mousavi said the development project was estimated to cost € 41 million, adding: “Development of this field will include location, water transfer as well as the downhole services of rig supply and providing technical and drilling services.”
Highlighting NIDC’s capabilities in drilling services, as well as integrated technical services and the company’s experience of drilling at Balaroud, he said: “Drilling six development wells using two heavy drilling rigs over 24 months is envisaged. A third drilling rig is also likely upon agreement between NIDC and National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC).”
Iran Turkey Gas Exports to Resume in July
Iran expects gas exports to Turkey to resume by mid-July at the latest, a senior Iranian gas official said June 7, following an explosion on a pipeline in Turkey that forced supplies to be suspended at the end of March.
Mehdi Jamshidi-Dana, former director for dispatching at state-owned National Iranian Gas Company and now interim caretaker of its Gas Transmission Company, also said NIGC rejected a claim from Turkey that the suspension of supplies represented a force majeure event.
“We predict that the repair of the Iran-Turkey gas pipeline will end in the month of Tir (July 21) and gas flow will resume,” he said.
Turkey's energy ministry and gas importer Botas have not made an announcement on progress in repairing the pipeline, but Jamshidi-Dana said Turkey had claimed the pipeline explosion was a force majeure event, meaning Ankara could avoid paying for gas not taken under the two sides' 25-year take-or-pay contract that came into effect in 2001.
The explosion on the line took place on March 31, but repairs had still not been completed despite work following such attacks usually taking around three to seven days, Jamshidi-Dana said.
"Iran has announced in writing that it does not accept this is a force majeure event. In several correspondences, we said Iran is ready to repair this pipeline within eight days but the Turkish side didn't welcome that," Jamshidi-Dana said.
Turkey imported 7.7 bcm of gas from Iran in 2019, or some 17% of its total gas imports, under the long-term contract that allows Ankara to buy 9.6 bcm/y.
International Arbitration
Jamshidi-Dana warned that Iran could take the issue to international arbitration if it was not resolved, but stressed that "friendly relationship and professional acting by Turkey" would mean Tehran would not take the matter that far.
Talks for an extension of the contract meanwhile are underway, he said, though progress was being impacted by the global pandemic situation.
"Negotiations to sign new contract are being carried out slowly because of the coronavirus outbreak. But our examinations show that imports of Iran's gas have advantages for them. It's still not clear what a new contract would be. But Turkey undoubtedly needs to import gas from Iran," Jamshidi-Dana said.