Speaking at the inauguration of the $1.6 billion NGL 3100
gas recovery plant in Ilam province, Paknejad said capacity has risen from 330
million cubic feet per day (cfd) at the start of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration
last year to about 610 million cfd expected by end-2025.
“This project is one of the largest APG recovery plants. It
prevents the waste of hundreds of millions of dollars of national wealth and
protects the environment,” Paknejad said, adding that more than 85% of the
plant’s equipment was domestically manufactured.
He said the ministry has auctioned new contracts for private
investment to capture an additional 270 million cfd of flared gas, with further
tenders covering up to 700 million cfd planned. Longer-term projects, including
the NGL 3100 and NGL 3200 plants, Khark facilities and flare reduction at South
Pars, are due by 2028.
The Ilam facility, launched with an initial feed of 80
million cfd, will ramp up to 240 million cfd, producing 4.3 million cubic
metres of sweet gas daily for the national grid and feedstock for
petrochemicals. It is expected to shut down eight flare stacks, saving gas
worth about $700 million annually.
Paknejad said once all planned projects are completed, Iran
will have the capacity to capture around 16 billion cubic metres of flared gas annually.