Speaking to Shana about the refinery's equipment modernization and infrastructure development, Yahya Feyzi said the technical inspection unit uses homegrown risk-based inspection (RBI) software to monitor the readiness of physical assets and improve equipment reliability. Based on its analyses, the software determines the right timing for inspections and turnarounds.

He added that one important outcome has been identifying equipment that does not require periodic overhaul. Such equipment has been removed from the turnaround schedule, so inspection and maintenance now focus on equipment at higher risk because of internal corrosion or likelihood of failure.

Feyzi explained that the software classifies equipment and operating units by risk level into three groups: low, medium and high. Under this scheme, low-risk equipment is inspected at longer intervals in line with applicable standards, while high-risk equipment is examined at shorter intervals and repaired or renewed as needed.

He said inspections are scheduled entirely according to standards and the RBI system's analyses. This keeps the main focus on high-risk equipment, so inspections are carried out more precisely and at the right intervals.

On localization, he said the software was designed and implemented in recent years by the refinery's own specialists, and counts among the company's innovative measures in equipment modernization and infrastructure development.

A Roadmap for the Refinery's Digital Transformation

Feyzi said two major and successful projects are on the agenda. The first is the Production Data Management (PMS) project, which makes it possible to identify and correct potential deviations in the consumption of chemicals, solutions and energy-intensive equipment.

The second is an energy decision-support system. It simulates operational data to offer suitable scenarios for the optimal operation of equipment and process streams, and is used to optimize the refinery's energy consumption and keep its specific energy consumption (SEC) index within the standard range.

Citing the results, he said the system has reduced the refinery's energy intensity by between 1 and 3 percent annually, averaging about 1.5 percent a year.

Supporting NTBFs, Building Local Capabilities

Feyzi said that, because of Sarakhs County's geographic location and its distance from the provincial capital, few advanced knowledge-based companies operate in the area. As part of its social responsibility commitments, the refinery has therefore made supporting knowledge-based firms, localizing technologies in Sarakhs and strengthening local contractors a priority.

He said the Hasheminejad Refinery Innovation Center has been established in the city of Sarakhs to identify and support talented young people and idea holders, helping them bring their ideas to mass production.

The center also connects young innovators with investors, so that startups and new companies can serve the needs of the oil and gas industry while also meeting those of the local community and the country.

Empowering Local Youth and Developing Local Contractors

Feyzi said considerable progress has been made in contracting. For the past two decades, the contractors needed for the refinery's turnarounds were brought in from other parts of the country. Through planning and a memorandum of cooperation with the Technical and Vocational Training Organization of Razavi Khorasan Province and its Sarakhs office, local young people have been given training and skills.

After acquiring technical skills, he said, these young people have been able to take up jobs in the refinery's technical departments or provide services to it, and some have founded and registered their own technical and service companies.

He said that, having gained specialized skills and familiarity with management systems and business principles, these young people have reached a level of capability at which, in recent years, the refinery's turnaround operations have been handed over entirely to local contractors from Sarakhs.

Feyzi rated the quality of the contractors' services as highly satisfactory. He said the strong performance of local personnel meant that in each of the past two years, the gas processing units had no unplanned shutdowns or production cuts during the final four months of the year, which he said reflects the quality of the repairs and the technical capacity of local contractors.

He noted that the local contractors' capabilities have now grown to the point where they also take on turnaround projects and contracts at other refineries across the country.

Feyzi described empowering young people and developing Sarakhs's specialized capacities as important expressions of the refinery's social responsibility. He stressed that creating opportunities for training, employment and entrepreneurship, and the effective presence of local workers in industrial projects, are among the most valuable social achievements of the company.