Babak Raji, an energy expert, stated in an interview with an economic reporter that due to the energy imbalance and damage to the South Pars facilities, there is a possibility of gas restrictions in industries, particularly petrochemicals, this winter.
Damage from Attacks on Gas Facilities
Raji noted that during the attacks on the South Pars facilities, about 230 million cubic meters of the country's sweet gas production capacity was taken offline. This incident occurred on March 18 and had a significant impact on the country's gas processing and refining capacity. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth refineries of South Pars were damaged in these attacks.
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He continued that currently, some units located in the Assaluyeh region, including the complexes under the Persian Gulf Holding, are facing restrictions. The Hengam and Apadana complexes are also among the units whose production status needs to be monitored.
The Impact of Energy Imbalance on Petrochemical Production
This energy expert referred to the simultaneous impact of the war and gas imbalance on petrochemical production, stating: "This year, the country is facing not only energy imbalance but also the consequences of attacks on gas facilities, making it more difficult to supply feedstock to petrochemical complexes." Therefore, it is expected that the reduction in the production of some petrochemical products this winter will be greater than in previous years.
Raji pointed out the damage to the country's gas infrastructure, stating that some of the equipment in the damaged refineries is still usable, and the gas produced from offshore platforms is being sent to the operational refineries.
He further stated: "Of the total 230 million cubic meters of capacity that was taken offline during the attacks, about 100 million cubic meters have returned to production. Therefore, there is still a reduction of about 130 million cubic meters of the country's gas production capacity compared to the conditions before the attacks."
Raji discussed the reconstruction plans for the damaged refineries and the timeline for the return of the remaining capacity to production, indicating that by the end of December, an additional 12.5 to 13 million cubic meters may be added to the country's gas production capacity.
This energy expert also referred to the gas consumption situation during the cold days of the year, stating: "Last year, during the peak cold days, the country's gas consumption reached about 830 to 840 million cubic meters per day. In such conditions, nearly all of the country's gas production is consumed in the residential and commercial sectors, reducing the possibility of allocating sufficient gas to other sectors."
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