Iran mulls building refineries in Africa

The deputy head of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) says the Islamic Republic of Iran mulls construction of oil refineries in Africa.

Shahrokh Khosravani said in an interview with Mehr news agency on Saturday that negotiations were underway particularly with the West African country of Sierra Leone.

“Negotiations with Sierra Leon are serious,” Khosravani noted, saying that Iran’s private sector was also negotiating to construct refineries in some Asian countries, including Indonesia.

“Currently, Iran has no active project for refineries outside the country,” Khosravani said, adding that other oil-related projects were also being discussed during talks.

Earlier, Hassan Khosrojerdi, the head of Iranian Oil Products Exporters Union, said that Iran signed memoranda of understanding with six African countries to construct small scale oil refineries there.

In a meeting with Franklyn Bai Kargbo, Sierra Leonean special envoy, in Tehran on February 6, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s chief of staff, Mohammad Nahavandian, said Iran’s private and government sectors were ready to take part in oil and gas projects in Sierra Leone, adding, Tehran welcomes any plans that “deepens relations with African countries.”

Over the past years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has defined a special priority on its agenda to boost relations with African states.