TEHRAN – Bandar Abbas Refinery in Southern Iran is going to fully process fuel oil into products with higher added value including petroleum coke after the implementation of a development project designed by Iranian engineers and experts.

The official documents on the various aspects of the mentioned project were unveiled in a ceremony attended by Oil Minister Javad Oji and Managing Director of Bandar Abbas Refinery Hashem Namvar on Tuesday at the place of the Oil Ministry in Tehran, Shana reported.

According to Namvar, the project was first supposed to be designed and implemented by Japanese engineers, however, after the implementation of the U.S. sanctions they withdrew from the project and now domestic engineers and experts have successfully completed the project’s design.

The official noted that the major focus of the mentioned project is to produce high-quality petroleum coke as the end product, adding: “The quality of coke produced through the designed process has been confirmed during three stages of trial and testing at the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry.”

The project is divided into three sub-projects; The first step is to set up processing units for which the necessary permits have been obtained and a public call notice has also been issued, Namvar said.

According to him, the contractor for the first section of the project will be selected by the first quarter of the next Iranian calendar year (begins on March 21).

He mentioned the second part of the project as ancillary services and facilities, while the third sub-project will be the construction of an oil production unit.

Noting that for the first time in the country a refinery is completely using the technical knowledge of domestic institutions for such a major project, the official added: "This project is 100 percent done by local experts and has turned the threat of sanctions into an opportunity."

The head of Bandar Abbas refinery said the coke produced after the implementation of the mentioned project will be used to meet the demands inside the country and the surplus production will also be exported.

EF/MA

Photo: Oil Minister Javad Oji (4th L) and Managing Director of Bandar Abbas Refinery Hashem Namvar (1st L) attend the unveiling ceremony of official documents on Bandar Abbas Refinery development project