The construction of Gachsaran Petrochemical Complex in Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad Province has registered 87% progress, the oil minister said.
“One of the advantages of the project is that 78% of the parts and equipment used in the plant are made by domestic manufacturers,” Javad Owji was also quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana.
“The complex will receive ethane as its feedstock via an ethane pipeline that comes from Bidboland Gas Refinery in the Persian Gulf,” he added.
The plant is to produce ethylene, C3+ and hydrogen. A polyethylene production unit will also be built at the plant later.
With regard to the development of oilfields in the province, Owji said Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad has eight oilfields and 13% of the country's oil reserves are located in this province.
“We will start the development programs of Gachsaran 1, 2, 3 and 4 oilfields as well as Bibi Hakimeh oilfields in the coming weeks, to increase their output by 40,000 barrels per day,” he added.
According to the minister, the investment required to raise the fields’ output is over $300 million, which are expected to be completed in three years.
Gachsaran Oilfield, now divided into four sections, began crude oil production in 1930. The total proven reserves of the field are around 52.9 billion barrels and production is centered on 560,000 barrels per day.
Bibi Hakimeh Oilfield, which came on stream in 1963, currently produces 120,000 barrels per day.
The minister, who traveled to the western province on Friday, also visited the under-construction Chamshir Dam.
Referring to the dam as one of the largest reservoir dams in the country, Owji said the dam has a storage capacity of 2.4 billion cubic meters.
“The dam project has made 84% progress and if it receives the required budget of $6.7 million by the end of the current Iranian year [March 2022], its construction will become complete next year,” he added.
Chamshir Dam will supply water for farming, drinking and industrial purposes and also help control floods.
A hydroelectric power plant is also being constructed adjacent to the dam to generate 482 gigawatts of hydropower per year.
