Iran Petrochem Output and Export Rising

EghtesadOnline: Non-oil exports from the giant South Pars gas field off the Persian Gulf shows an upward trend despite the new US sanctions, head of the customs office of Pars Special Economic Energy Zone said.

News ID: ۷۴۷۴۴۷

29 May 2019

Close to 2 million tons of petrochemicals and gas condensate, worth of $730 million, were exported from South Pars in the second Iranian month to May 21 indicating a 23% rise in volume compared to the corresponding period last year, IRNA reported Ahmad Pourheydar as saying.

The United States reimposed sanctions in November on Iranian oil exports after US President Donald Trump last spring unilaterally pulled out of a 2015 accord between Iran and six world powers.

The world’s largest gas field shared between Iran and Qatar, South Pars is the heart of energy production in Iran. It also is non-oil export hub for petrochemicals and gas condensates, Financial Tribune reported.

In addition to the giant South Pars Gas Field, the PSEEZ is home to 16 petrochemical plants that produce 20 million plus tons of petrochemicals a year mainly for export markets.

South Pars was developed in 24 phases of which 22 are operating and phase 14 is being completed. Phase 11 has not been developed yet. Gas production in the field has reached 620 mcm per day.

Maximum Capacity

Phases 2 and 3 are operating at maximum capacity, director of the second refinery at the South Pars Gas Complex said.

“The two phases have the capacity to produce 60 million cubic meters of sweet gas per day,” Mehdi Gerami Shirazi said.

A second refinery can produce 370 tons of sulfur and 72,000 barrels of gas condensate per day.

SPGC accounts for 67% and 92% of total natural gas and gas condensate output respectively. It produced 250 million barrels of gas condensates in 2018, up 9 million barrel compared to 2017.

Data related to 2018 show a rise in output of a variety of byproducts, namely ethane (42%), LPG (35%) and sulfur (35%), compared to the year before.

South Pars accounts for 96% of liquefied petroleum gas, 100% of ethane and 55% of sulfur produced in the country.

Higher Production

Pardis Urea and Ammonia Plant registered a production and export record in the last fiscal (ended in March).

According to the National Petrochemical Company, last year the company’s ammonia and urea output was 21% and 32% higher than the preceding year while its domestic sales and exports grew by 48% year-on-year.

Pardis Petrochemical Company has one of the largest urea and ammonia plants in the Middle East, producing 3.225 million tons of urea and 2.04 million tons of ammonia annually.

Urmia, Arvand and Shahid Tondgooyan petrochemical companies affiliated to the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company also reported higher production last year compared to a year ago.

PGPIC owns dozens of petrochemical plants and is the biggest producer of petrochemicals in Iran.

The managing director of National Petrochemical Company, Behzad Mohammadi, has written to the CEOs of the three companies congratulating them on their production achievements.

Urmia petrochemical company is located 30 kilometers southwest of Urmia City, West Azarbaijan Province. The complex has two process units for producing crystal melamine and ammonia sulphate.

Arvand Petrochemical Company is located in Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province. It is the largest producer of PVC in Iran and the region.

Shahid Tondgooyan Petrochemical Company is also located in Mahshahr and produces Purified Therephtalic Acid (PTA) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).