According to the National Petrochemical Company (NPC), Rostami, in a meeting with the Director General of Environmental Protection of Khuzestan Province and the Water and Soil Director of the Department of Environment, said, “Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company has always been a leader in the field of environmental protection and has taken effective measures in this regard.”

He said the company had a landfill that was used by other industries of the country.

Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company, in compliance with environmental protection policies, is constructing the largest wastewater treatment facility in the petrochemical industry of the country, Rostami added.

On Saturday, Iran put into operation its first smoke-free flare system in Ahvaz Operating Unit No. 2, after the country’s decision to end gas flaring in the Southern oilfields, despite US obstructing the transfer of technology to the country.

Managing Director of Karoon Oil and Gas Production Company Qolamreza Mofidi outlined features of the system, saying by launching the system, environmental pollutants in the vicinity of Ahvaz metropolitan area would be reduced and burning of 10 million cubic feet of gas per day would be prevented.

He said an investment of 15 billion rials ($357 million) has been made to develop and launch the system, adding that all the costs of the project would be reclaimed in a matter of three months.

The official further added that the system has been developed by domestic experts at the National Iranian South Oil Company, voicing the company’s readiness to carry out similar projects in other operational districts of the country.

Flaring is the burning of natural gas that cannot be processed or sold. The flaring of APG is an important safety measure at many oil and gas production sites, as it prevents industrial plant equipment from over-pressuring and exploding.

On September 22, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that Iran was unable to import machines and equipment needed to contain flare, the gas burnt or vented at oil and gas production facilities which is highly detrimental to the environment.

“The sanctions are anti-human and anti-environment,” he said, adding, “They don’t let us import equipment we need to prevent sulfur burning or equipment through which we refine non-standard gases.”

The minister said sanctions were hampering shipment of machines ordered and paid by Iran, some of them totally ready for transportation into oil processing facilities south of the country.

“That is why we say the sanctions have targeted the entire Iranian nation,” said Zanganeh, adding, “They are both anti-human and a crime against humanity.”

Iran has made major progress in using flare gas either for power generation or as a feed to refineries. Recent reports suggested the country has made an investment of above $5 billion in those projects over the past years.