The construction of Gachsaran Petrochemical Company in Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad Province has registered 91.5% progress, the managing director of the plant said.
Mostafa Heydarian said the plant is estimated to become operational by the end of the current fiscal year (March 2023), the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana reported.
“Sour gas is transferred to Bidboland Persian Gulf Gas Refinery and after sweetening and separation, 1. 250 million tons of ethane are sent to Gachsaran Petrochemical Company. Afterwards, the ethylene produced by the company will be sent to Mamasani, Kazeroun and Boroujen petrochemical companies as well as Dehdasht and Gachsaran polymer plants,” he added.
The Bidboland refinery in oil-rich southern Khuzestan Province has a daily processing capacity of 56 million cubic meters of associated gas from the East and West Karoun oilfields that include several large oilfields straddling the Iran-Iraq border, namely Azadegan, Yaran, Yadavaran and Darkhovein.
The Bidboland facility has an annual production capacity of 10.4 million tons of methane, which will be injected into the gas grid, and 1.5 million tons of ethane, 1 million tons of propane, 600,000 tons of gas condensates and 500,000 tons of butane that will be fed into the petrochemical plants of Mahshahr and Gachsaran.
Gachsaran Petrochemical Company is scheduled to produce ethylene, C3+ and hydrogen. A polyethylene production unit will also be built at the plant later.
“With the completing of downstream projects, we will be connected to the West Ethylene Pipeline and export our products from Asaoluyeh. Apart from exports, we are signing contracts for the sale of ethylene with Arvand, Tabriz and Amirkabir petrochemical companies,” he said.
“Upon launch, Gachsaran Petrochemical Company will have a production capacity of 1 million tons of ethylene per year. It is an important link in the value chain to turn associated petroleum gases to polymer products.”
Heydarian said more than 2,500 people are currently working on the project that will be completed at over $1 billion.
One of the advantages of the project is that about 80% of the parts and equipment used in the plant are made by domestic manufacturers.
