Strike or Technical Issues: Why 3 Petrochemical Giants of Iran Are Shut Down
Strike or Technical Issues: Why 3 Petrochemical Giants of Iran Are Shut Down. Reports have surfaced in the past week indicating the shutdown of production lines in at least three petrochemical complexes in southern Iran. However, the managers of these three complexes cite technical issues as the reason for the shutdowns. Yet, investigations by Iran Gate suggest the matter is something else.
The three petrochemical complexes, Jam, Arya Sasol, and Assaluyeh, announced the shutdown of their production lines in the past week. According to the managers of these complexes, the reason for the production halt is due to technical problems. However, Iran Gate has obtained information indicating that the halt in operations in these three major petrochemical complexes in Iran is due to workers’ strikes.
According to officials from the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade and the managers of the aforementioned petrochemical companies, the production lines of all three companies will be halted at least until November 6th. Although Arya Sasol has announced that the production of heavy polyethylene will be stopped until at least November 10th.
Emergency Shutdown of Jam Production Line
Reports from Jam Petrochemical indicate the stoppage of all production lines since November 1st. This large petrochemical production complex has cited technical defects at Mobin Petrochemical as the reason for the production halt. Mobin Petrochemical supplies the necessary utility feed for this complex.
According to Jam Petrochemical, production lines will be halted until November 6th. However, no information about resolving the utility supply issue for Jam Petrochemical has been released in the media. There is evidence that day laborers at Jam Petrochemical have protested and gone on strike in recent days. Some sources claim that the reason for shutting down Jam Petrochemical until November 6th is not related to technical defects but rather due to widespread workers’ strikes.
Arya Sasol Production Line Halted
According to Arya Sasol Petrochemical, the production of heavy and light polyethylene lines has been temporarily halted. Arya Sasol Petrochemical announced that the heavy polyethylene production line will be shut from November 1st to November 10th, and the light polyethylene line from November 1st to November 6th. The managers of this production complex have stated that the reason for the production halt is a problem with the water supply for the cooling system. Informed sources have not yet released credible documents regarding Arya Sasol’s shutdown due to workers’ strikes.
As previously mentioned, official sources from the Islamic Republic and some domestic media claim that due to a fracture in the seawater pipeline sent by Mobin Energy to Arya Sasol Polymer, and the shared pumps and main header of this pipeline with the seawater line sent to Jam Petrochemical, emergency repairs of this pipeline by Mobin Energy have been scheduled to start today.
However, no evidence of protests and strikes at this complex has yet been made available to the media. But given the simultaneous production shutdown of this complex with other petrochemicals involved in strikes, it is suspected that Arya Sasol has also been forced to halt production due to contractual workers’ dissatisfaction.
Shutdown of Strategic Industries at Assaluyeh Petrochemical
Based on previously mentioned information and reported news, all production units of Jam Petrochemical, polymer units of Arya Sasol, and styrene and ethylbenzene units of Pars Petrochemical have been halted since November 1st.
According to official news sources, this incident occurred due to a technical defect in the water transfer pipeline for the cooling systems of strategic industries at Assaluyeh Petrochemical. None of these three major petrochemical complexes in Iran have yet announced a resumption date for their production.
However, Iran Gate has received reports that the reason for the Assaluyeh Petrochemical shutdown is strikes similar to those of the day laborers at Jam Petrochemical. Domestic media have also somewhat reported these strikes, but the government of Ebrahim Raisi has not yet confirmed the shutdown of these three petrochemical giants in Iran due to strikes.
There have been previous instances of production halts due to technical defects at Assaluyeh Petrochemical, but the prolonged duration of this shutdown and the lack of a specified date for resumption have fueled suspicions around this issue.
Several reports and analyses published in Iran Gate related to this topic
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