The explosion in the furnace of Unit 70 of the Abadan Oil Refinery on Thursday, September 24, resulted in at least three employees of this production center being injured. This unit is the main supplier of feedstock for gasoline production in the country, and according to reports, the daily refining capacity has decreased to about 8 million barrels due to this incident.
Details of the Explosion and Its Consequences
The cause of this explosion, which government media have reported as a "technical failure," has temporarily halted the operations of this refinery. Some news sources also indicate that a drop in gas input to the refinery early Thursday caused this incident. The CEO of the Abadan Refinery has also announced that the reconstruction of the exploded furnace will take at least two months.
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History and Importance of the Abadan Refinery
The Abadan Oil Refinery, as one of the largest and oldest oil refineries in Iran and the Middle East, was established in 1912 and has since been recognized as a key center for gasoline and other petroleum products production. This refinery supplies about 23% of Iran's total gasoline consumption and is also engaged in the production of diesel, liquefied gas, and other petroleum products.
The Abadan Refinery is connected by pipelines to several oil fields and the Mahshahr port, and a pipeline also extends from Abadan to Tehran and then along the northern borders of the country. Given that the United States continues economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic and the country faces gasoline shortages and the inability to import this vital product, this explosion could have more serious repercussions.
In recent months, reports have emerged regarding the low quality of domestically produced gasoline and its significant damage to vehicles. This incident could exacerbate existing problems in gasoline supply and quality and raise the need for more thorough investigations in this area.
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