TEHRAN – The second phase of Iran’s Ilam Gas refinery project is going to be commenced in the near future as the country’s giant Persian Gulf Holding Company is going to invest 10 trillion rials (about $238 million) in the project, Shana reported on Saturday, quoting Ruhollah Nourian, the refinery’s managing director as saying.

Pointing to the growth of the refinery's production index in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-September 21) compared to the same period last year, Nourian said, "Implementing several projects in various fields, including the development of sulfur products, commissioning of incinerators, recovering the gases sent to the burner and ... are also on the agenda.”

He also referred to some of the refinery’s challenges, including the lack of an olefin unit, the problem of supplying some parts and chemicals, and the lack of financing for the Galal Dam water treatment plant project, and called for more cooperation and coordination to address these challenges.

Back in August, Nourian had announced a 20-percent increase in injected gas into the national gas grid by Ilam refinery in Q1 of the current Iranian year (started on March 20) and stated: “In this period we have seen six percent increase in condensate production, 21 percent in sulfur and 360 percent in LPG.”

The refinery produced 1.9 billion cubic meters of gas last (Iranian) year, which was 83 percent of the nominal capacity of the refinery, he said.

“In last (Iranian) year, the commitments of Ilam Gas Refining Company in the production of gas condensate and sulfur were fulfilled by 93 percent and 107 percent respectively. The rate of LPG production was 16 percent, which was due to the delay in commissioning of the Ilam Petrochemical Complex,” he said.

EF/MA