Javad Owji made these remarks today (Sunday, September 18) during his
visit to the 8th and 9th exhibition halls at the IranPlast International
Exhibition, where he engaged with stakeholders from both upstream and
downstream petrochemical industries.
He praised the Ministry of Petroleum's continuous efforts to ensure
the timely supply of gas to the country's petrochemical units.
Owji added, "This year, significant agreements have been reached
with Abbas Aliabadi, the Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade, for the
provision of fuel and feedstock to industrial and petrochemical units."
He continued, "Any industry that establishes the necessary
infrastructure for gas storage in the form of CNG and LNG in its vicinity will
receive gas supply commitments from the Ministry of Petroleum. By continuing to
collect associated gases from the East Karun region and processing them at the
Bidboland Persian Gulf Refinery, we will resolve feedstock issues for
petrochemical plants that lack ethane and propane."
While visiting the Gulf Holding Company's booth, Owji commended the
company for achieving a production increase of one million tons compared to the
previous year. He noted that the Supreme Leader's statements regarding
production growth had been successfully realized at Gulf Holding Company.
Owji highlighted that this year, six downstream projects would be
inaugurated under the auspices of Gulf Holding Company. He emphasized that as
much as the value chain in petrochemicals could be developed, multiple
benefits, including increased employment and added value, could be reaped.
During his visit to the Petrochemical Company of Masjed Soleyman's
booth, Owji discussed the production of a new product, ammonium sulfate, and
acknowledged the company's significance in terms of employment and revenue
generation despite being situated in a less-developed region. He assured the
Ministry of Petroleum's support for infrastructure development and feedstock
supply to this facility.
Addressing the issue of gas shortages during the cold season, Owji
stated, "By the end of the Sixth Development Plan, we were supposed to
produce one billion and 250 million cubic meters of gas, which unfortunately
did not happen due to the previous government's lack of investment."
Owji then highlighted the shift of some methanol-producing units
worldwide towards the production of MTG (Methanol to Gasoline), stating that
methanol units in Iran were also interested in investing in this area. He
emphasized that the National Petrochemical Company of Iran, despite an
increased responsibility, should support these petrochemical units to gradually
transition from methanol exports to the establishment of MTG units. The
Ministry of Petroleum is ready to provide comprehensive support to investors in
this regard.
The Oil Minister concluded, "Supporting both domestic and foreign
investors for the production of petrochemical products from methanol must be on
the agenda of the National Petrochemical Company."
He referenced Morteza Shahmirzaei, CEO of the National Petrochemical
Company, stating that, in line with the Petroleum Minister's directives, the
company has initiated scientific and economic design and feasibility studies
for the production of gasoline and other petroleum products from methanol in
Iran's petrochemical industries in collaboration with research institutions and
universities.
The showcase will run until September 20 at Tehran’s permanent
fairgrounds.