TEHRAN (PIN) – The flare of Ilam Gas Refinery was lit in the presence of deputy oil minister for gas affairs, Ilam governor general, Ilam Friday prayers leader, and a number of local managers and officials Saturday.

The refinery flared into life on this day to commemorate scores of Iranian people martyred in the revolution on Sept. 8, 1978.
Provincial people could use natural gas before next winter when the refinery is put into operation.
Seyyed Reza Kassaeizadeh, deputy oil minister for gas affairs, Ali Mohammad Azad, Ilam governor general, and Hojjatoleslam Lotfi, the Leader’s representative in the province, attended the ceremony.
The project will be officially inaugurated as Ilam’s urban grid links to the nationwide network and the Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company Kassaeizadeh lights a gas flame in a house.
According to the NIGC, the executive operations of the second phase of the Kermanshah-Ilam 30-inch gas transmission line and injection of gas into the line have been carried out and Ilam Gas Refinery is now ready to receive sweet gas and start its initial work.
The refinery is constructed in two phases.
In the first phase, the refinery receives 6.8 million cubic meters of sour gas and injects 5.8 million cubic meters of gas after sweetening process into the transmission line. In the second phase, the refinery is supplied with over 10 million cubic meters of sour gas.
Ilam, Chevar, and Ivan will be supplied with clean fuel, natural gas, when the refinery becomes operational.
The refinery produces 370 thousand cubic meters of ethane, over 1,300 cubic meters of propane, 1,200 cubic meters of gasoline, and 340 tons of sulfur in the first phase per day while its output in the second phase will be half of the first phase’s production.
Ilam Gas Refinery is situated 25 km northwest of Ilam, 12km off Chevar region.
Iran’s Petroleum Ministry has allocated 20 trillion rials ($2.1 billion) for boosting the refining capacity, the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) reported.
The huge sum will be paid for 12 refineries’ repair projects and 11 optimization projects of oil installations.
The refineries of Abadan, Tehran, Lavan, Tabriz, Bandar Abbas, Arak, Kermanshah, Shiraz, and Isfahan are among the 12 refinery projects.
The projects included oil infrastructures of the areas of Abadan-Mahshahr, Tehran-Tabriz, Isfahan-Marun, Eslamabad-Isfahan, and Kermanshah, Bandar Abbas Refinery, and other regions.