IRANIAN OIL REFINERIES: DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81B00401R000400090009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 9, 2006
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 1, 1980
• Content Type: STUDY

Approved For Release 2006/06/09: CIA-RDP81 B00401 R000400090009T3
National Secret
F F7 Foreign NOFORN-N000NTR;ICT-
Center
Iranian Oil Refineries:
Damage Assessment
T.-3 P~~BS (k[a-}.~
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Secret
ER 80-10570
October 1980
Copy 2 0 0
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rzaing Notice Intelligence Sources
and Mcthuds Involved
iWNINTIAI )
",4ational Security Unauthonied I)isclo,,urc
Information Subject to Criminal Sanctions
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Foreign NOFORN-NO00NTRACT-
Assessment ORCON
Center
Iranian Oil Refineries:
Damage Assessment (u)
Information available as of 15 October 1980 has been used
in the preparation of this report.
This assessment was prepared jointly by the Offices
of Economic Research and Imagery Analysis.
Comments and queries are welcome and should be
Secret
ER 80-10570
October 1980
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 Approved For Release 2006/06/09: CIA-RDP81 B00401 R00040009(009-3
ecret
NOFORN-N000NTRACT-
ORCON
Iranian Oil Refineries:
Damage Assessment (u)
Key Judgments
It is not clear whether Iran is still supplying limited volumes of crude from
the oilfields to its remaining refineries or is operating these refineries
exclusively on crude stocks. The major oilfields that normally supply the
Tehran and Esfahan refineries-Ahwaz and Marun-are apparently shut
in. Three of the five gas-oil separation plants (GOSPs) at Ahwaz and four of
the five GOSPs at Marun were photographed in recent days; none were
operating, even though no damage to the facilities was apparent. Iran
probably has shut down the GOSPs as a precaution because damage to a
drained and depressurized GOSP would probably be considerably less than
would be inflicted on an operating unit.
Iran has only limited supplies of cru fineries. At
Esfahan, for example, an estimate rude oil were on 25x1
hand on 15 October, and crude stoliage was eing rawn down at a rate of 25x1
100,000 b/d. Given minimum crude inventory working levels, the refinery
probably could continue operations for less than two weeks.r
1 25X1
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Secret
! i 'ORN-N000 \ 1 RAC7-
The
i.ydrocracking units at the Rey refinery in Tehran and the Esfahan refinery
are not operational because of technical factor unrelated to the war. These
secondary processing units enable the refineric? to produce a higher propor-
tion of light products such as kerosene, diesel, t nd gasoline. Without these
facilities, as much as 40 percent of the produc yield at Rey and Esfahan
may be residual (heavy) fuel oil, a high proportion inconsistent with Iran's
current product requirements.
1 he above information is Secret Noforn.
cret tv
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Secret
NOFORN-N000NTRACT-
ORCON
Iranian Oil Refineries:
Damage Assessment (u)
The Refining Network
Iran's largest refinery is Abadan. The refinery had a
prewar capacity of 610,000 b/d-52 percent of Iran's
total refining capcity. In late summer, of total Iranian
production of 960,000 b/d, Abadan was refining al-
most 600,000 b/d. The refinery's light product output
(gasoline, kerosene, and distillate fuel oil) are domesti-
cally consumed, while most of its heavy products
(200,000 b/d to 240,000 b/d) are exported. Refined
products are distributed to Tehran and other northern
cities through the Trans-Iranian Pipeline system,'
while product for export is mainly delivered to the port
at Bandar Mahshahr.
The Tehran refinery, with a capacity of 225,000 b/d, is
Iran's second largest. The refinery is located at Rey, 15
kilometers south of downtown Tehran. The Rey refin-
ery can be supplied with crude from the oilfields in
southwestern Iran through either of two pipeline sys-
tems-the Trans-Iranian Pipeline through Ahvaz and
Dezful, or a relatively new line through Esfahan origi-
nating at the Marun oilfield.
Iran has three smaller refineries-at Tabriz, Shiraz,
and Kermanshah-which serve largely localized
needs. The Tabriz refinery, with a capacity of 80,000
b/d, is located in strategic Azarbaijan Province in
extreme northwestern Iran. Some of the refinery's
output normally is used to support overland transporta-
tion through the province from Turkey and the USSR.
The Tabriz refinery is supplied by a crude pipeline
from Tehran, which formerly served as a product
pipeline.
The Shiraz refinery has a capacity of only 40,000 b/d.
It is served by a crude pipeline from the Gachsaran
oilfield. The small Kermanshah refinery (capacity
20,000 b/d) is located north of Abadan, 50 kilometers
from the Iraqi border. It is fed by pipeline from a small
oilfield, Naft-e-Shah, that straddles the Iraqi border
and has been overrun by the Iraqis.
In the past, Iran has imported small quantities of
refined products through Abadan and Bandar
Mahshahr to supplement its domestic production. The
import system, however, is not designed to accom-
The Esfahan refinery was commissioned earlier this
year with an initial refining capacity of 100,00 b/d,
which Tehran claims to have increased to 200,000 b/d
by starting up a second processing train in late Septem-
ber. The refinery was built by a Fluor-Thyssen joint
venture, which has turned the refinery over to the
Iranians. A new pipeline with a capacity of 550,000
b/d was built from the Marun oilfield to supply crude
to Esfahan. A 24-inch crude line and an 18-inch prod-
uct line run from Esfahan to Tehran. If the pipeline
from Marun were shut down, the crude line could be
reversed to deliver crude or products from Tehran to
Esfahan. Both the Rey and Esfahan refineries have the
capability to produce jet fuel, although the volume is
partially dependent upon the performance of the refin-
eries' hydrocracking units, which have not been operat-
ing recently.
'The Trans-Iranian pipeline system includes both crude and produc
pipelines that run from Ahvaz to Tehran.
modate large quantities of refined products.
Damage Assessment
Abadan. Repeated Iraqi artillery shellings and possibly
some airstrikes have resulted in numerous oil spills and
fires at storage tanks and pipelines at the Abadan
refinery and the nearby tank farm
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TEHRAN
Shahr-e Rey
Esfahan
ma?e... ,
SoleYmen
,'
IRA N
upaU Qc~drou~ %i uh-e R~IS
I N",
ala nl
Oilfield
Gasfield
Oil pipeline(s)
Tanker terminal
it Refinery
Bahregan
ar
as +' `+Gul4,h.,.,
Abadan' dar Rag
Wa 'SPfiahr >~!
Ardeshi- Kharg-
Cyrus Darius and
Island
4 swan
Island 0
Rostarn H ,?khsh
The names of oilfields and tanker
rerminals are spelled according to
the 1979 International Petroleum
,cyclopedia
Unclassified
Boundary rapresesar~on is
not necessarily ai i ?,n[allve.
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Secret
-7777
The Iraqis claim to have inflicted some
damage Esfahan on 14 October.
Repairs to pipelines and some support equipment will Iran claims to be rocessin up to 215,000 b/d at the
be required and preliminary tests would have to be
conducted before processing equipment can be brought
back into operation. Also, the immediate postwar
throughput of the refinery would be significantly
limited because of the number of storage tanks that
have been damaged or destroyed.
Esfahan refinery
The Abadan refining complex and the nearby The processing at Esfahan reportedly is confined to
Bawarda product tank farm are the largest product primary crude distillation, which would yield a higher
storage areas in Iran. The combined capacity of 35 than desired proportion of heavy fuel oil. As of late
million barrels at the two facilities accounts for about September, Esfahan was producing some jet fuel. 25X1
45 percent of the country's total storage capacit
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}ecret
Appendix
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 Approved For Release 2006/06/09: CIA-RDP81 B00401 R000400090009-3
 Approved For Release 2006/06/09: CIA-RDP81 B00401 R000400090009-3
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 Approved or Release UIA-RDP81 B00401 R000400090009-3
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 Approved For Release 2006/06/09: CIA-RDP81 B00401 R000400090009-3
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 Approved For Release 2006/06/09: CIA-RDP81 B00401 R000400090009-3
 Approved For Release 2006/06/09: CIA-RDP81 B00401 R000400090009-3
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Secret
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