Mostafa Nakhaei pointed to the commissioning of the second train of the Central Processing and Export Plant (CTEP) at the South Azadegan shared oil field, describing it as the largest oil and gas processing unit in the country. He said the development of shared oil fields is among the system’s top priorities and is emphasized in the Seventh Development Plan.

Nakhaei said bringing such a large-scale project online shows that the oil industry continues its forward momentum despite limitations, adding that sanctions have failed to halt its operations.

He described the oil industry as the driving force and locomotive of other sectors, noting that its development stimulates broader economic activity. Nakhaei said the launch of the second CTEP train at the South Azadegan field will play a significant role in retaining skilled professionals in the oil sector and creating jobs, particularly for local workers.

According to Shana, the second train of the South Azadegan Central Treatment and Processing Facility, the country’s largest oil and gas processing unit, is one of the National Iranian Oil Company’s strategic infrastructure projects in the West Karoun region. It was designed and implemented to create sustainable capacity for processing, transporting and stabilizing crude oil from the South Azadegan field and neighboring fields.

The project serves as a key link between production and development phases in West Karoun and plays a critical role in achieving sustainable and conservation-oriented oil production from shared fields. It is considered the main processing and transmission artery for West Karoun crude oil.

Spanning 70 hectares, the project’s ultimate goal is to achieve a stable processing capacity of 320,000 barrels per day in the main operational phase of the South Azadegan field.

The CTEP project cost more than $350 million, with 85% of its equipment sourced domestically. Its commissioning has created about 1,500 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs, including 700 positions filled by local residents.