“The aim is to collect 2.3 million cubic meters of APG. The project is expected to take 23 months and cost $140 million,” IRNA quoted Ramin Hatami as saying.
This is in the framework of commitments to help protect the environment and the collected APG will be used as feedstock for the petrochemical plant in Dehloran, Ilam Province, he added.
Moreover, the move will help cut APG in the region—a major source of pollution, as large amounts of harmful emissions are released in the environment through gas flaring.
Dehloran oilfield is located 22Km southwest of Dehloran City, Ilam Province near the border with Iraq.
Collecting APG from oil and gas fields is a priority of the Oil Ministry to safeguard the environment, prevent loss of national wealth and create jobs.
Flaring is the venting of natural gas that cannot be processed or sold. Collection of APG is an important safety measure at many oil and gas production sites, as it prevents industrial plant equipment from over-pressure and explosion.
Iran has made progress in using flare gas either for power generation or as a feed to refineries and petrochemicals. Reports say the government has invested more than $5 billion in related projects.
Since 2008 Iran has prevented the flaring of over 12 billion cubic meters of APG, a source of global warming and a waste of valuable fuel.
Despite the measures, Iran has the highest rate of energy waste in the form of APG in the Middle East and ranks third in the world in terms of gas flaring after Russia and Iraq.
According to the Majlis Research Center, approximately 17 bcm of gas is flared and wasted annually -- $6 billion net loss for the treasury.
Gas flaring is a global problem that is getting worse. The World Bank reported a 3% increase in gas flaring on a global scale in 2018. It said oil production sites around the world were burning approximately 140 bcm of natural gas annually.