Bandar Abbas Oil Refinery in Hormozgan Province has increased its output capacity by 51% in recent years, the managing director of the refinery said.
“The capacity of the refinery in Bandar Abbas County has increased from 232,000 barrels per day in previous years to 352,000 bpd now,” Hashem Namvar was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
“There is a project underway at the refining complex to further raise the production capacity by converting mazut into higher value-added products, including sponge coke that is the typical grade of petroleum coke used in steel production,” he added.
The initiative is being carried out with the help of the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry that has localized the technical knowledge of petcoke production for the first time in Iran, he noted.
Completion of the project, which will take two years, will help Iran become self-sufficient in the production of petcoke. The country is currently dependent on coke imports, Namvar said.
“When the unit becomes operational, Bandar Abbas Oil Refinery will produce 300,000 tons of sponge coke per year, which is more than Iran's industrial needs and the surplus will be exported,” he stated.
The unit will help save $1.2 billion that would otherwise be spent on importing the product.
Petroleum coke is a final carbon-rich solid material that derives from oil refining. There are at least four basic types of petroleum coke, namely needle coke, sponge coke, honeycomb coke and shot coke.
Sponge coke is used as solid fuel, and manufacturing anodes for aluminum production, if its sulfur and metal concentrations are sufficiently low.
Bandar Abbas Refinery is the third largest refining complex in Iran. Its feedstock includes heavy crude plus condensates. The refinery largely caters to domestic demand and some of its output is exported.
It produces byproducts such as liquid gas, lead-free premium gasoline, jet fuel, white oil, variety of solvents, diesel, raw material for grease, fuel oil, kerosene, asphalt and sulfur.
The refinery, located off the Persian Gulf, is a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company and accounts for an estimated 18% of the total domestic petroleum products.
Domestic Manufacturers
Namvar also said that Bandar Abbas Refinery has been indigenizing various parts and equipment used in different units and so far 25,000 items have been localized, helping save $10 million.
The indigenization has been done via reverse engineering in cooperation with knowledge-based companies and domestic producers.
Supporting Iranian production and local producers to help continue domestic production is one of the policies of Bandar Abbas Oil Refinery. Many of the items are important in the oil refining industry, which guarantee the continuity of refining operations.
High potentials of domestic companies have been used in manufacturing and providing equipment needed in the refinery such as heat exchanges, towers and accessories.
Power cables, instrumentation, tubes, fittings, aerial coolers and also some pumps are other main parts that have been purchased from domestic manufacturers and companies.
Reliance on scientific and technical knowhow of the refinery’s experts has helped reduce dependency on foreign countries, such that over 65% of equipment in Bandar Abbas Oil Refinery are now produced in the country.
