The president, who made the remarks during his speech at the inauguration ceremony of the first phase of the Persian Gulf Hoveyzeh Gas Refining Company in southwestern province of Khuzestan, added, “Oil industry has boosted its relations with knowledge-based firms in the 13th administration. The number of knowledge-based companies engaged in oil industry has soared to 500 from 100.”

‘Big job’

Raeisi said collecting 250 million cubic feet of associated petroleum gas (APG) or flare gas a day by the Hoveyzeh plant is a “big job”.

Burning off APG is not only burning off national wealth, but also causes environmental problems in the region, continued the president.

He said his administration has given top priority to addressing the gas flaring in East and West Karoun oil fields.

Inaugurated projects

Raeisi launched the first phase of NGL 3200 plant and the precompression units of NGL 900 and NGL 1000 plants in the province.

The projects are aimed at collecting associated gases of Karoun fields.

The president also inaugurated a project to boost extraction from joint Azadegan oil field in southwestern province of Khuzestan by 45,000 barrels per day (bpd).

The steam unit of West Karoun Combined-Cycle Power Plant was another project inaugurated by Raeisi.

Its utilization coincided with a 200-megawatt increase in the plant’s power generation capacity.