TEHRAN - Head of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) Jalil Salari and Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs Hamid Younes met on Thursday in Tehran to discuss expanding cooperation between the two countries in the refining sector.

In this meeting, Salari said Iran and Iraq have great capacity to cooperate in various areas of the refining industry from transmission to distribution and compressed natural gas (CNG), IRNA reported.

“The achievements of the Iranian oil industry after the victory of the Islamic revolution and self-sufficiency in the oil and refining industry have caused us today to be in a situation where nearly 80 to 90 percent of the equipment and items used in the refining sector are made inside the country and all the engineering, design and technical knowledge needed by refining units have also been localized,” Salari said.

The official noted that the Iranian government is focused on cooperation with all neighboring and friendly countries, especially with Muslim countries.

During the visit of Oil Minister Javad Oji to Iraq, some agreements were reached between the two countries that will be implemented soon, he added.

He expressed hope that Iran and Iraq will reach new agreements in the fields of renovation and reconstruction of refineries, overhauls, and supplying necessary goods, catalysts, as well as, chemicals.

Mentioning other potential areas for cooperation, Salari said: “There are more than 2,500 CNG stations in Iran, and nearly four million cars in the country's transportation fleet have been dual-fueled, and these fields can be among the areas for Iran-Iraq cooperation.”

“We have also indigenized the knowledge for the production of catalysts needed for the refining and chemical production industry and today we are competing with top countries in the industry and in this field we can provide services to other countries as well,” the official added.

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Photo: NIORDC Head Jalil Salari (L) receives Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs Hamid Younes in Tehran on Thursday.