Development of Golkhari and Bibi Hakimeh oil fields aimed at increasing daily oil production to 30,000 barrels, downstream polyethylene projects, Mokhtar field for storing gas, and construction of a 110-barrel refinery-integrated petrochemical plant in three phases and supply of feed are among projects planned for the province, the minister mentioned on Monday.

Gachsaran projects inaugurated after long hiatus

Owji said Gachsaran petrochemical project was today inaugurated after an almost two-decade delay.

The launch of the project was the outcome of great efforts over the past months, added the oil minister, explaining that the complex was supplied with gas today and will produce ethylene within the next two months.

Elaborating on the project, he said associated petroleum gas (APG) in the province’s fields will be collected and processed at Persian Gulf Bidboland Gas Refinery and the produced ethane will be injected into Gachsaran Petrochemical Complex and turned into ethylene, adding the downstream petrochemical complexes of Gachsaran and Dehdasht will produce light and heavy polyethylene in the next stage.

Kohgilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad is the only province of the country whose value chain system enjoys the capacity to collect APG, transmit to a refinery, inject into a petrochemical complex, and turn it into a final product, said Owji, adding “we are seeking to inaugurate two polyethylene plants by the end of the incumbent administration”.

According to the minister, Gachsaran petrochemical project has created around 3,000 job opportunities and 1,000 people are also needed to work in its downstream sector.

He also said Gachsaran has the capacity to produce 500,000 barrels of oil per day.

Touching upon the executive operations of Mokhtar gas field’s storage project in the southwestern province, he said $450 million have been allocated to the project.

Around $400 million will be invested in the project of building Dehdasht Petrochemical Complex, and $300 million will be needed for constructing Gachsaran downstream petrochemical plant in the province, the minister continued.

Owji, who accompanied President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi in his provincial visit, added the project of supplying gas to 37 villages also became operational on Monday.