South Pars First Refinery has completed a major seven-day overhaul, positioning the facility to maintain natural gas supply during the peak winter consumption period, the refinery's acting manager announced on Tuesday.
Akbar Gholami confirmed that the intensive maintenance program, carried out between July 10 and 16, involved catalyst replacements, safety valve calibrations, and comprehensive overhauls of key compressors and boilers. The operation was designed to boost equipment reliability and reduce the risk of unplanned outages—a critical factor as domestic gas demand typically surges in colder months.
Beyond routine maintenance, the refinery also carried out preventive work on its power generation systems, replacing chargers and UPS units while implementing condition-monitoring protocols for electrical and instrumentation equipment.
In a notable departure from past practice, the project relied heavily on domestic expertise. Some 200 Iranian specialists were deployed, and all replacement parts and equipment were sourced from local manufacturers. According to Gholami, the approach reflects a deliberate strategy to reduce foreign dependency while strengthening the country's domestic industrial base. "The successful completion of this overhaul in such a short timeframe was made possible by coherent planning and the technical knowledge of local specialists," he said.
With the work now complete, the refinery is operating at full capacity and stands ready to contribute to the stability of Iran's national gas network throughout the winter season.
