Iran to increase production of Benzene, Butylene

A senior Iranian official announced the country's plans to move towards petro-refinery projects to increase the production of benzene and butylene. Iran’s National Petrochemical Company is to inaugurate two new petro-refineries in Abadan and Tabriz plants to produce benzene and butylenes, NPC Director for Planning and Development Ramezan Oladi said. “There is the possibility of producing benzene at Tabriz Oil Refinery and butylene at Abadan Oil Refinery,” he added. “Currently, the construction and commissioning of oil refineries are less profitable compared to petro-refinery projects,” Oladi said, adding, “Countries like China and Saudi Arabia have also moved toward petro-refinery projects.” He stated that the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) and the country’s petrochemical sector have also discussed the projects, which are aimed at integrating Iran’s oil refineries and petrochemical complexes to enhance profitability and reduce costs.