Shahdad Foroutan told Shana that the project was implemented to reduce crude oil sales and increase product transfer capacity and has now entered the operational phase. He said follow-up work is continuing to complete and install the main pumps.

Foroutan said the project was assigned in 2010 to the National Iranian Oil Engineering and Construction Co., but financing challenges delayed its launch until 2015. From that year, construction activities were carried out under an EPC contract by a consortium including Nasr Misaq Ahvaz, Nardis Energy Projects and Satiran Consulting Engineers.

Crude Oil Transfer From Northern Dezful Fields

Foroutan said the main objective of the 341-kilometer pipeline is to transfer crude oil from the Northern Dezful oil fields to the Kermanshah and Arak refineries. He added that under new policies, the route can be adjusted to send crude to other destinations, including Tehran or Tabriz.

He said the 30-inch, 102-kilometer section from Sabzab to Tang-e Fani has a transfer capacity of 450,000 barrels per day. The second section, a 26-inch pipeline from Tang-e Fani to the Shazand pump station stretching 239 kilometers, provides a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day.

Foroutan said six pump stations have been built along the route — Sabzab, Tang-e Fani, Asar, Pol-e Baba, Razan and Shazand — with Shazand currently operating as the terminal. He added that 43 kilometers of power transmission lines, 206 towers and four substations have been constructed, while balancing tanks with varying capacities are under construction at the Razan and Sabzab pump stations.

Second Section of Sabzab–Shazand Pipeline Becomes Operational

Foroutan said the 30-inch, 102-kilometer section from Sabzab to Tang-e Fani became operational in September. The section, with a capacity of 450,000 barrels per day, was officially inaugurated on Sept. 7 in a ceremony attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad.

He said the oil minister had pledged that the second section, from Tang-e Fani to Shazand, would be operational by late November, a target that was met. Crude oil is now being transferred to Shazand and received by the refinery’s storage tanks without any issues.

Foroutan described the project as a successful example of localization, noting that the transfer of sour crude required pipes made of NACE-compliant materials with high corrosion resistance. He said this marks the first time such pipes have been produced in Iran, adding that the pipeline is fully domestically manufactured.

He said total investment in the project amounts to 110 trillion rials, with about 90 trillion rials spent so far, including 46 trillion rials in local currency and 94 million euros in foreign currency. All stages were carried out in line with health, safety and environmental regulations of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Co., and no fatalities or serious incidents occurred.

Entire Route Ready for Operation

Foroutan said the entire route is now ready for operation and crude transfer is underway. He said throughput depends on refinery demand, but the pipeline is fully operational and will reach 100% physical completion and maximum capacity once the main pumps are installed.

He said hydrostatic testing was conducted after pipe installation and welding to ensure integrity and capacity. The process involves filling pipeline sections with water of specific quality, followed by complete drying after testing.

Foroutan said about 46,000 cubic meters of water were used for testing the Sabzab–Tang-e Fani section and 116,000 cubic meters for the Tang-e Fani–Shazand section, totaling roughly 163,000 cubic meters. Water was sourced from local rivers and wells. Efforts were made to transfer water from one section to the next to minimize fresh consumption, but steep terrain often made this impossible, requiring discharge and re-treatment at pump stations.

He said the project faced significant challenges due to its mountainous route, with about 60 road and river crossings in the Sabzab–Tang-e Fani section and 45 crossings in the Tang-e Fani–Shazand section. Land acquisition along the route was also difficult and time-consuming. Despite these challenges, he said, round-the-clock efforts by project teams ensured completion of the project to facilitate crude oil transfer operations nationwide.