Some 150 natural gas pressure regulating stations have been equipped with special devices that can stop gas flow in case of emergency situations like earthquakes. Hamidreza Araqi, the managing director of National Iranian Gas Company, made the statement on the sidelines of the inauguration of the newly-established gas processing institute in Tehran on Wednesday, ISNA reported. Pointing to the importance of the pilot plan, Araqi said, "The ultra-sensitive start-stop devices will automatically halt the gas flow through pipelines in order to minimize damage from any potential explosions." According to the official, plans are underway to install the system in all gas compressor stations in the near future. The first phase of Iran's gas processing institute was officially inaugurated in the presence of Habibollah Bitaraf, deputy oil minister for research and technology, and Jafar Tofiqi, the head of the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry. The institute will conduct surveys on state-of-the-art methods to sweeten gas, recycle sulfur and curb gas flare.
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