TEHRAN- The progress of the first phase of Iran’s strategic Goreh-Jask oil pipeline project has surpassed 70 percent, the deputy director of the project in Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC) stated.

Making the remarks on the sidelines of visiting the 25th edition of Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining, and Petrochemical Exhibition (Iran Oil Show) on Sunday, Ali Jafarzadeh said that such progress promises that the project will be completed by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20).

Despite the tough condition created by the sanctions and also coronavirus outbreak, this strategic project will be completed at the scheduled time, he underscored.

He announced the supply of more than 96 percent of the parts and equipment of this project from domestic sources and said: "This is an all-Iranian project and a high percentage of items required for this national project is supplied by the domestic companies.”

As announced last month by the managing director of PEDEC, the implementation of Goreh-Jask project by domestic contractors has saved the country over €500 million.

Touraj Dehqani said that the implementation of the project so far has created direct jobs for 8,000 people, while providing indirect job opportunities for over 15,000 people as well.

Dehqani stated that the first phase of this project with a capacity to transfer over 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day will be ready for operation by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

So far, more than 780 kilometers (km) of pipes have been delivered to the site and more than 400 km of piping has been carried out, the official said at the time.

According to the plan, the entire pipeline, which is about 1,000 kilometers, will be installed, tested, and operational by the yearend, he added.

Goreh-Jask project, which is aimed at expanding the oil transport capacity in the south of the country to one million barrels a day, was inaugurated in late June 2020 by President Hassan Rouhani.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the project, President Rouhani said this project was currently the country’s most strategic project.

“We hope that exports from Jask will begin as the government's most strategic project by the end of this [calendar] year,” the president noted.

Last week, the operator of Jask oil terminal project in southern Iran announced the beginning of the offshore pipeline extension operation for the early-phase of this project.

“Following the favorable weather conditions and the completion of initial preparations in recent days, the shore pulling operation of a 2.5-kilometer pipeline leading to the first single-point-mooring (SPM) of the terminal was started,” Vahid Maleki said.

The mentioned operation is being carried out by a pipe-layer vessel called Sea Master, according to Maleki.

The official pointed to the implementation of this operation as the first part of the offshore development of Jask oil terminal and added: “The offshore section of the early phase of this project will be completed with the construction of two 36-inch offshore pipelines with a total length of 12 kilometers, various coastal facilities, as well as a single point mooring.”

As the country’s second major oil terminal, Jask terminal is under construction by Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) on 60 hectares of land and with nearly €260 million of investment.

In line with the development of the mentioned oil terminal, a pipeline project, dubbed Goreh-Jask oil transfer project, is also underway which is going to provide Iran with an alternative route for the country’s crude oil exports that are currently carried out through the Strait of Hormuz.

MA/MA