Tehran Oil Refining Company has signed four memoranda of understanding to use the expertise of local universities and knowledge-based firms to handle some of its technical works, the head of the refinery's Board of Directors said.
“The MoUs seek to use the technological and innovative services and products of domestic companies to de-sludge oil tanks, complete sulfur value chain and install gas analyzers on smokestacks,” Mohammad Khazaei was also quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry’s news portal.
Giving a breakdown, he noted that the first agreement was signed on Saturday between the refining company and Islamic Azad University, based on which the latter is obliged to build a robot to clean up all types of sediments and sludge in the oil tanks of Tehran Refinery.
Crude oils have the propensity to separate into heavy and light hydrocarbons. This is often aggravated by cool temperatures, the venting of volatile components from the crude and by the static condition of fluid during storage.
Heavy hydrocarbons that separate from the crude oil and settle at the bottom of storage vessels are known as “tank bottoms”, or “sludge”. It is a combination of hydrocarbons, sediments, paraffin and water. Sludge can accelerate corrosion, reduce storage capacity and disrupt operations.
Crude oil sludge consists of 67% oil, 25% solids and 8% water. Regular oil tank cleaning and sludge removal are necessary to maximize storage capacity and prevent blockages and corrosion.
Tehran Oil Refining Company also signed contracts with Fanavaran-Sharif Company and the University of Science and Industry in Tehran.
“The agreements call for producing carbon disulfide by combining carbon and sulfur at very high temperatures. The compound is used in manufacturing tires,” he said.
Pardis Technology Park
According to Khazaei, the deal was signed with Pardis Technology Park in east Tehran, based on which a group of startups were assigned to build and install gas analyzers on smokestack in the refinery.
They are tasked with designing and fabricating electric motors for fans and pumps, in addition to an ultrasonic flow meter, a type of flow meter that measures the velocity of a fluid with ultrasound to calculate volume flow.
The park has been officially called the region’s “paradise of technology” and aims to become the Silicon Valley of Iran. The park is home to several knowledge-based firms, startup accelerators and internet-based businesses.
Tehran Oil Refining Company is located 15 kilometers south of the capital. It produces 7 million liters of unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 (regular) per day. The company’s daily diesel output is 8 million liters.
The company accounts for 50% of jet fuel produced in Iran. It receives 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day as feedstock, a part of which is converted to jet fuel conforming to international standards.
The refining facility has been introduced by the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company as the top refiner in terms of measures taken to help preserve the environment.
The ranking came after NIORDC surveyed criteria such as green space, wastewater treatment, air pollutants and energy management.
As per environmental laws, industries and production units should allocate 10% of their total area to green space. In addition to complying with regulations, Tehran Oil Refining Company has 293 hectares of green space.
Wastewater Treatment Unit
The refinery has increased the capacity of its wastewater treatment unit to 11,000 cubic meters per day to use reclaimed sewage instead of municipal water.
To reduce air pollutants, the huge refinery in southern Tehran uses natural gas as feedstock in furnaces and boilers. In the past, it used liquid fuels like mazut, which is a major source of pollution. It has also installed oxygen analyzers on furnaces and boilers to control the combustion process and reduce gas consumption.
Moreover, the refinery launched a nitrogen production unit to improve health and environmental standards.
With a production capacity of 1,200 cubic meters of nitrogen per hour, the unit will help replace natural gas with nitrogen in storage tanks to prevent any possible hazard from flammable liquids.
A carbon dioxide recycling facility near the refinery has reduced its CO2 emissions. The refinery annually converts 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions into industrial and food-grade CO2, meeting 15% of the domestic demand for the product.
