Iran’s Ilam Province has secured approval to allocate crude oil from the Azar and Changuleh oilfields to local refineries, following two years of negotiations to attract private-sector investment.
According to MP Fereydoun Hemmati, the first investor has received final approval for a feedstock supply of 20,000 barrels per day from the Azar oilfield, paving the way for construction of a refinery in the province in the near future.
He said that three private-sector investment groups are currently interested in developing refining facilities in Ilam.
According to Hemmati, the province’s long-term objective is to process 200,000 b/d of crude oil locally, creating employment opportunities, supporting downstream industries, and retaining more value from its oil resources within the region.