Oil Ministry's top officials and representatives of Iranian universities and research institutes signed 12 memoranda of understanding on energy research and development.
Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mohammad Farhadi, accompanied by the heads of Oil Ministry's three affiliates, namely National Petrochemical Company, National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, and National Iranian Gas Company, as well as the chancellors of universities and research centers attended the gathering on Sunday, according to Shana.
The NIPC handed over four R&D projects on methanol, olefins, propylene and polyolefin catalysts to the universities of Shiraz, Tarbiat Modarres, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran and Amirkabir University of Technology, respectively.
The five-year-long plans are estimated to be worth $30 million.
Likewise, the universities of Tehran, Shiraz, Amirkabir, Sharif University of Technology and Isfahan University of Technology were delegated to study NIORDC's plans for optimization of heavy oil, isomerizaion of heavy naphtha, catalytic reforming of naphtha, hydro-desulfurization and distillation of naphtha and hydrocracking, respectively.
The projects, worth about $64 million, are to take five years to accomplish.
NIGC handed over five-year-long projects, worth $24 million, on NLG, purification and desalination, gas turbines and smart gas meters to University of Tehran, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, University of Science and Technology, and Oil Turbo Compressor Company.
