Moallemi said these operations include establishment of 10,000 gravimetric and magnetometric stations designed to be built at one-kilometer distances from each other around the cities of Dargaz, Kalat and Sarakhs.
He said topographically speaking, the region has seen significant changes. The Sarakhs area is quite smooth while the Dargaz and Kalat areas are mountainous.
“The operation zone is a polygonal area where the Mounts Tandoureh are located,” he said, adding that the eastern and northeastern half of the project shares border with Turkmenistan.
3-Drilling Costs Halved
CEO of National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) Ahmad Mohammadihas said drilling costs have been cut by 50% through composing management.
He also expressed hope that this biological method of waste management would expand in the drilling industry.
Mohammadi said seven drilling rigs owned by National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) had been equipped with zero discharge system. He added in the environmentally preferred zones, zero discharge equipment was used to allow the drilling of 100 wells without causing any pollution in urban and protected drilling areas.
“The composting project is being operated for the first time in Iran. It will eliminate drilling pollutants and accelerate cleaning of contaminated soil. Compared with zero discharge, it is less expensive,” he said.
Mohammadi said the technology used in this project is domestic and has been used for the removal of drilling residues in Khuzestan Province.
This method is being implemented on a trial basis, he said, expressing hope that in the near future drilling operations would be used in other environmentally sensitive areas.
Referring to NISOC’s other environmental projects, Mohammadi said: “The gas gathering project is the priority of the Ministry of Petroleum. NISOC has signed several agreements to that effect and construction has started.”
He said that oil and gas are separated in production plants and sent to consumption spots. “The oil extracted from wells is always mixed with associated gas. For instance, in Karoun Oil and Gas Production Company whose oil production capacity stands at 1 mb/d, the associated gas output reaches 500 mcf/d.”
Mohammadi said that about 15 mcf/d of associated gas was being flared. He expressed hope that the gas gathering project would help protect the environment, complete the value chain and prevent national assets from being wasted away.
4-Gas Supply to Industries to End in March 2021
CEO of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hassan MontazerTorbati has said that gas supply to industries will be over in Iran by March 2021.
He also said that 97.2% of Iran’s urban population had access to natural gas. “Currently, 1,148 cities across the country are connected to the natural gas network. Meantime, the number of villages connected to gas would reach 3,062 by” the end of the current calendar year, he said.
Torbati said the gas supply penetration rate in Iran’s rural areas was about 79%, adding: “In addition to urban and rural gas supply, gas supply to industries and power plants is of high significance. We have currently over 102,000 industrial customers. Therefore, most major industries in the country have access to natural gas. The remaining industries are those with gas consumption below 5,000 cubic meters per hour.”
Montazer Torbati said all power plants, except for Chabahar and Kenarak, are connected to natural gas network and consume natural gas. “Small-scale power plants have been also connected to the natural gas network.”
“Gas supply to power plants hit the record 285 mcm/d in the last calendar year. That’s a good figure. The Chabahar and Kenarak power plants should be supplied with CNG. This issue has been delayed for some time. We are also waiting for the completion of the Iranshahr-Chabahar gas pipeline in order to connect these power plants to the natural gas network,” he said.
Montazer Torbati said the Iranshahr-Chabahar pipeline project would be complete by March 2021.
5-South Pars Platforms OverhaulNearing Completion
CEO of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) Mohammad Meshkinfam has said that the overhaul of the giant South Pars gas field platforms would be over before autumn.
He said the offshore gas field, which Iran shares with Qatar, was supplying about 75% of Iran’s gas needs.
“Under such circumstances, we will try our best for supporting this strategic sector,” he added.
Recalling the accident on platform 9 of South Pars, he reiterated the need for the precise monitoring of all South Pars platforms. He said: “In light of reports we have received, we hope that necessary arrangements would be made at South Pars platforms before winter in order to guarantee sustainable supply in winter.”
Regarding SP14, Meshkinfam said: “SP14 is the last and the most prioritized South Pars project. It is currently producing 28.2 mcm/d from two of its platforms. Two more platforms would be installed and become operational ahead of winter.”
He said: “Maximum gas recovery from South Pars is the Petroleum Ministry priority. In SP14, once the 56 mcm/d sour gas production has materialized this obligation will be met completely.”
Referring to the refinery section of this phase, he said: “Until recently, there was delay in the mass commodity supply of SP14 refinery, but the necessary items are provided by the client now.”
Meshkinfam referred to the mechanical completion of the fuel gas production unitof SP14 refinery, saying: “This unit is prelude to the flare and is the first treatment unit that would become operational after receiving gas from the national trunkline.”
6-‘Friendly’ Nations Asked to Buy Iran Oil
Iran’s First Vice President Es’haqJahangirihas called on “friendly” countries to buy oil from the Islamic Republic despite US sanctions.
“Well mindful of friendly countries like China are facing some restrictions, we expected friendly countries to be more active in buying Iran’s oil,” Jahangiri said in a meeting with Song Tao, head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, in Tehran.
He said China remained Iran’s main trading partner and oil buyer, adding: “The US’s imagination is that it can reduce our oil sales to zero by pressuring buyers of Iran’s oil in a bid to cause the Iranian economy to collapse.”
Jahangiri added: “But fortunately although one year has passed since the US imposed its oil embargo, Iran’s economy enjoys acceptable stability.”
He said: “Gas is the most significant source of energy for the future. Iran sits atop the world’s largest gas reserves and we are ready to export gas to China via the Iran-Pakistan pipeline.”
He said that the obstacles ahead of Iran-China financial transactions have to be removed as soon as possible, and a financing mechanism needs to be established between the two countries.
Jahangiri said delegates from Iran’s Ministry of Economy and Central Bank of Iran would travel to China to hold talks about establishing a mechanism for financial transactions between the two countries.
He said the US was threatening security in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. He added: “Iran’s foreign policy is to support multilateralism and counter US hegemony. We are ready to cooperate with China on regional and international issues.”
Song said Iran and China had ancient civilizations “and the Chinese side has always attached great significance to the development of ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
He said China held a strategic view of its ties with Iran for the long term, adding: “Despite regional and international development, Beijing’s willpower for preserving friendly ties with Tehran will not change.”
Song said the US was bullying both Iran and China. “Tehran and Beijing should exchange views and coordinate their moves in a bid to find new methods and approaches for resolving their problems and safeguarding common interests,” he added.
Song also criticized the United States’ unilateral sanctions and bullying. He said China remained determined to broaden its relations with Iran and implement agreements signed between the two countries. He added that the two countries could share experience on how to counter US pressure.
Song said the two countries cooperated in the oil and energy sector. He added: “Some of these projects are faced with obstacles and challenges and I hope that through negotiations we would be able to adopt suitable methods for resolving these problems and accelerating the process of implementation of these projects.”
7-Propylene Production Capacity Up
CEO of National Petrochemical Company (NPC) BehzadMohammadihas said that Iran would increase its propylene production capacity by 3 million tonnes with the startup of seven new projects.
He said: “In the event of propylene output hike, attention must be shifted onto diversification in the chain of propylene and its derivatives to result in higher resilience for production units.”
“Currently more than 900,000 tonnes of propylene is being produced by two refineries and six petrochemical plants. Almost all this propylene is consumed in the country,” said Mohammadi.
He said the Salman Farsi, Hirsa Polymer and Kourosh projects were located in the Mahshahr Special Economic Petrochemical Zone while the Entekhab, Mehr Petro Kimia, SazehSanatiAzaran and Naft-o-GazRazavi are located in Kangan and Assaluyeh.
Mohammadi highlighted the attractiveness and significance of the propylene industry, saying it would largely help the economy and create jobs in the downstream industry.
He said the second phase of the Mahshahr petrochemical zone had to be developed in harmony with the region’s spatial planning.
Mohammadi said a diversified mix of feedstock could be envisaged for this zone. He added: “Using natural gas from Iran Trunkline 6 (IGAT-6), propane and butane from the Bid Boland gas refinery, the excess capacity of West Ethylene Pipeline, existing feedstock in the upstream and midstream plants of phase 1, as well as transferable feedstock from oil fields and LNG plants and associated gas gathering could provide good feedstock capacity for this zone.”
Mohammadi said it was necessary to adopt a precise and comprehensive plan for new units. He added that expert studies had to be conducted to enhance the petrochemical industry production in the special zone.
He said that 2,000 ha of land had been allotted for the development of the Mahshahr petrochemical zone.
8-Iran Oil Tanker Seizure Violating JCPOA
Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman has said the British Marines’ seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar was in violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Abbas Mousavi said the issue had been discussed during the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna.
“One of the issues discussed in the JCPOA Joint Commission meeting was the seizure of the tanker carrying Iranian oil. We believe that it constituted a violation of the JCPOA. They present their own arguments, but Iran views this move as illegal and an act of piracy,” he said.
Mousavi said Iran had about 1,500 miles of coasts in the Persian Gulf, adding the Strait of Hormuz waterway was mainly adjacent to Iran. “Therefore, we are in charge of security there.”
“We believe that if other countries want to guarantee the security of the region and the Persian Gulf, they have no option but to cooperate together. All insecurity and problems are rooted in the interference of extraterritorial forces who are meddling with our region while they are thousands of miles away from their own land,” he added.
Referring to Europe’s non-dollar mechanism for trading with Iran, Mousavi said: “The Europeans claim that Instex was launched for Iran to sell oil. As mentioned, this financial mechanism is a prelude to fulfilling obligations. That is not the main thing, but they claim that Instex would be for financial and trade transactions between them and Iran. What we want is to sell oil and we would like our oil sales to return to the same levels before the US’s withdrawal from the [2015] nuclear deal.”
Mousavi also referred to news of seizure of a Chinese tanker carrying Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by the Singapore government, saying: “We are waiting for the official report from the Iranian embassy in China because the cargo was destined for China.”
He added: “Should it be true; it would be regrettable that some countries are aiding the US economic terrorism in this way. Such a thing is not acceptable to us.”
9-Equipment Supply Self-Sufficiency at 97%
The head of Instrument Self-Sufficiency Committee of ShahidHasheminejad Gas Refining Company, HessamoddinAlaei, has announced 97% self-sufficiency in the supply of equipment and instruments at this gas facility.
He said: “This success was achieved to support domestically manufactured commodities and in favor of manufacturing prosperity.”
He said the 97% self-reliance in equipment manufacturing had been achieved through reliance on the commitment and expertise of domestic manufacturers.
“Some of this equipment like extensive control system, fire alarm and video surveillance that are high-tech and highly significant for the oil and gas industry were manufactured for the first time in partnership with knowledge-based companies and installed at the ShahidHasheminejad gas refinery,” he added.
Alaei said: “The objectives set in economic resilience and domestic manufacturing will have advantages for the oil and gas industry and all other industrial sectors.”
“That is a result of the refinery’s support for domestic potentialities and reliance on the knowledge of Iranian oil and gas experts,” he said.
10-Siemens Turbines Repaired in Iran
CEO of Iran Gas Transmission Company (IGTC) Saeed Tavakoli has said the company’s engineers have mastered the knowhow for repairing the vibration section of Siemens gas turbines.
He referred to preventive and basic gas turbine reparations by Iranian contractors, saying the rotors of SGT600 gas turbines would be repaired by Iranian engineers.
He added that doing such reparation in Iran would save the country € 350,000.
“Some of these turbines were out of use for years due to thermal vibrations. But with reparations done by Iranian experts, they are being used anew,” said Tavakoli.
He said that preventive maintenance optimization (PMO) and condition-based monitoring (CBM) of turbines had helped increase the life of rotary equipment.
“This achievement in different turbines has cut reparation costs in the predetermined time intervals,” he added.
Tavakoli said local knowhow could be transferred to other gas transmission areas, adding: “Under the present circumstances, nearly 300 turbines are operating in the gas transmission network. By applying modern methods, we can increase the functionality of turbines while reducing costs.”
“Furthermore, we have seen big events in the logistics systems. For instance, after reforming the financial procedures we saved IRR 1,780 billion,” he said.
11-Energy Globe Awarded to Parsi Gas Gathering
The Energy Globe award has been given to a project for associated gas gathering at the Parsi oil field due to its role in reducing environmental pollution in the Aghajari oil and gas production center.
Christoph Grabmayr, the Austrian Embassy's commercial counselor in Tehran made the statement on Wednesday at a ceremony to present the National Energy Globe Award in 2019 to Tamkar Gas Equipment Company (TGEC).
"The efforts to protect the ecosystem made by companies like TGEC should be commended and highlighted so that they feel that have support and respect," Grabmayr noted.
Preserving the future of the planet and the right of future generations to live a fulfilling life should be a human right for everyone, he stressed.
According to the diplomat, TGEC developed a flare gas recovery system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Parsi oilfield near Ahvaz in southern Khuzestan Province. The system has been billed as having a satisfactory technical performance and high economic feasibility.
Behrouz Mahdavi, deputy CEO of TGEC, said the Parsi gas gathering project was the biggest achievement of the private sector. He said: “It is the first flare gas gathering project to have come online in partnership with the private sector. Having established a gas compressor with a capacity of 7.5 mcf/d, TGEC will gather low-pressure to keep them from being flared.”
He said about 60 mcm/d of light gas had been gathered within the framework of the project.
“Furthermore, nearly 1,000 tonnes of gas condensate is produced on average per month to be supplied to the Bandar Imam Petrochemical Plant for feedstock,” he said.
Mahdavi touched on the Maroun 6 gas gathering project, saying it would gather nearly 30 mcf/d of flare gas, once operational.
“This project has had 50% progress in the construction sector and 25% in the equipment sector,” he said.
Mahdavi also said the minister of petroleum had issued a guideline for the private sector to use the untapped potentialities of the private sector, adding: “Based on this guideline, the private sector is authorized to use all untapped capacities for implementing its own projects. That has largely overcome challenges and problems.”
He said: “We had recently negotiations with the Iranian Offshore Oil Company for flare gas gathering in Siri Island and Nasr Platform. Based on these negotiations, by installing necessary equipment on Nasr Platform, 6 mcf/d of gas would be gathered to be transferred to Siri Island. Then we can blend it with 12 mcf/d of flare gas in Siri Island to be transferred to Siri NGL.”
“If this project becomes fully operational, Siri NGL will be running at full capacity,” said Mahdavi.