TEHRAN- The Manager of Integrated Planning at the National Iranian Gas Company announced the recovery of part of the lost capacity of South Pars refineries and said: Two phases of the Early Recovery Program have been completed.

According to Mehr News Agency, quoting the Ministry of Petroleum, Saeed Pakseresht said in an interview that during these attacks, 230 million cubic meters per day of the country’s gas refining capacity was taken out of the production cycle, stressing: In terms of the volume of lost capacity, this incident is considered one of the largest attacks on gas facilities in the world.

He stressed: From the outset, reconstruction plans were defined in two parts: the first part was early recovery, aimed at reducing the consequences of the incident and quickly returning part of the refining capacity to the production cycle; the second part was the full reconstruction of the damaged facilities, which requires more time.

The Manager of Integrated Planning at the National Iranian Gas Company continued: The Early Recovery Program was designed in four phases, two of which have been completed so far, and part of the lost capacity has returned to the country’s gas network. Also, the third phase of this program will be commissioned according to the planned schedule.

Pakseresht said: Although the initial schedule for the fourth phase was set until Ordibehesht 1406 (April–May 2027), efforts are being made to return part of this capacity to the production cycle before the beginning of the cold months of the year.

Referring to the process of full reconstruction of the refineries, he stated: Based on the decision of the Ministry of Petroleum, responsibility for the reconstruction of the Third and Fifth South Pars refineries was assigned to the National Iranian Oil Company, and the reconstruction of the Fourth and Sixth refineries to the National Iranian Gas Company, so that by utilizing all the capacities of the oil and gas industry, reconstruction operations can be carried out in the shortest possible time.

The Manager of Integrated Planning at the National Iranian Gas Company, referring to the experience gained from recent attacks on the country’s gas facilities, said: Although in past years various plans and measures had been foreseen for readiness in crisis conditions, this time the gas industry was tested in a real field, and valuable experience was gained in crisis management and increasing resilience.

Pakseresht added: Previously, various measures had been taken to prepare facilities, equipment, and manpower, and this helped us pass through difficult conditions with minimal consequences and secondary effects. However, actually entering such conditions was a different experience, and the damage inflicted was also significant in scope and severity.

He stressed: Using past lessons and previous experiences played an important role in managing this crisis, and the results show that reconstruction and capacity restoration operations have so far proceeded according to plan, and the effects of the incident have been largely controlled.

The Manager of Integrated Planning at the National Iranian Gas Company, regarding the use of technologies and technical know-how in the reconstruction process, said: The country’s gas industry has extensive experience in operating gas refineries, and this specialized foundation has been very effective in carrying out reconstruction operations.

Pakseresht continued: Along this path, maximum specialized capacity, technical know-how, and the experience of experts and specialists in the gas industry were used, and we tried to advance the reconstruction process with appropriate speed and quality by utilizing existing capacities.

Emphasizing the necessity of keeping knowledge and technology up to date in the gas industry, he stated: Iran’s gas industry is a mature, professional, and dynamic industry, and maintaining this position requires continuous use of the latest scientific and technological achievements.

EF/MA