Four gas processing plants targeted in Asaluyeh have made
significant progress in reconstruction, Bovard said in an article published by
the state-run Iran newspaper on Tuesday. Reconstruction across the gas and
petrochemical sectors has advanced beyond normal planning projections, he
added.
Bovard, who said he took over as acting oil minister a week
ago following the resignation of Mohsen Paknejad, made the remarks during his
first domestic visit in the role to Bushehr province and the Asaluyeh energy
hub.
He said attacks on energy facilities in Kangan, Asaluyeh and
Mahshahr had targeted infrastructure built through Iranian investment and
expertise, describing the facilities as central to the country’s development
and public welfare.
The recovery effort has been supported by government
reconstruction plans, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s leadership, and the work of
Iranian oil-sector employees and contractors, Bovard said. Annual major
maintenance at refineries and offshore platforms has also proceeded as
scheduled, while contingency plans have been prepared to manage energy supplies
under different scenarios during the cold season.
Drawing on nearly 35 years in Iran’s oil industry, Bovard
said national determination had been essential to the pace of reconstruction
and the recovery of lost capacity.
He also called for greater public awareness of energy
efficiency and a broader culture of lower consumption during winter, saying
conservation would complement reconstruction efforts and help sustain Iran’s
independence from energy imports.
Bovard praised workers and engineers who continued operating
in difficult conditions during what Iranian officials call the “Ramadan War,”
saying their efforts had helped keep the country’s energy infrastructure
running.
He described Asaluyeh as a cornerstone of the future of
Iran’s oil industry and said the sector had emerged from the recent conflict
with its resilience strengthened.
The article was published in the state-run Iran newspaper on
Tuesday, Oct. 13.