Trade director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company announced that if oil industry catalysts were produced inside the country, a large amount of foreign currency would be saved. Ali Mirmohammadi added that some catalysts were already produced in Iran and production of other, more expensive catalysts was planned. "The contract for producing catalysts has been signed with university Jihad institutes of Sharif University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University and Oil Industry Research Institute," he noted. Mirmohammadi stated that some catalysts would be mass produced within next few months at 50 percent lower cost than foreign counterpart. "About 6,000 kg catalyst produced inside the country would be used by Kermanshah refinery," he said. The official noted that catalysts were used by oil, gas and petrochemical industry as well as by refineries, adding, "Research and daily production of 100 kg catalysts is a major project carried out by trade department of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company." "The used catalysts were previously discarded, which exacerbated environmental pollution. Now platinum and another precious metal is recycled from used catalysts. The two metals are currently being mixed with new catalysts in advanced countries," he said. Mirmohammadi said another project carried out was mechanical waterproofing of pumps in the country, which had saved 3.5 billion dollars in past two years.