502 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1978-79 
 
ian regime. It also had been planned that when production from "C"
and "D"
began to declire, another small field, the Sirri "E" was to be
developed.
Three 1-million-barrel tanks were constructed on Sirri Island. Crude oil
from these fields was 30% API with a very low sulfur content. 
 Refining.—The new refinery at Tabriz, with estimated capacity
of 80,000
barrels per day, was inaugurated in June 1978~ The Italian Co., Snam Progetti
S.p.A., was responsible for the design, engineering, and construction of
the project for NbC. The Isfahan refinery, cQnsisting of two 100,000barrel-per-day
units was 95% complete. Fluor Corp., of the United States, in a joint venture
with Thyssen Rheinstahl Technic Gmbh of the Federal Republic of Germany,
was constructing the plant, which was halt~ ed during the revolution. Although
work was restarted in late 1979, the refinery was not to be completed until
the middle of 1980. Talks continued during 1978 with the Japanese fora new
250,000-barrel-per-day export refinery at Bushehr. Under discussion since
1973,. the project was running into obstacles as the Japanese Government
wanted both the capacity (revised from 500,000 tons) and completion date
adjusted, NIOC also planned to take interest in a 60,000-barrel-perday refinery
.to be built in Korea and a 25,000 barrel-per-day refinery in. Senegal. Iran
also participated in. refineries 
at Madras, India (13%), and 
Sasolburg in South Africa (17 
1/2%). 
 With installation of a new unit in February 1978, the Abadan refinery was
increased to a 640,000-barrel-per-day capacity. Normally an export-oriented
refinery, the Abadan refinery was the only plant in operation in early 1979,
when disturbances and labor strikes had paralyzed the industry. Fuel shortages
became acute in early 1979 with refining and distribution of petroleum products
disrupted. With normal reserves exhausted, the entire production of the Abadan
refinery was diverted to domestic markets. The product tanks at Abadan were
full of unneeded and unwanted fuel oil. The 
crude oil tanks at Kharg Island were filled with fuel oil as a stop-gap measure.
Fewer than 300 workers were operating the Abadan refinery at the peak disturbances
in late 1978 and early 1979, when about 2,000 were supposed to work each
shift under pormal conditions. The Tehran (Rey) Refinery, the second largest
in Iran, was completely shut down for several weeks in June 1979, because
of technical problems. By September 1979, Iran's five operational refineries
had a crude throughput in percent of capacity as follows: Abadañ
95%,
Tehran 95%, Tabriz 75%; Shiraz 90%, and Kermanshab 60% Iran s actual average
daily refinery throughput was estimated at just over 700 000 barrels per
day 
 Uranium —Exploration for uranium deposits m Iran made considerable
progress during 1978, although actual mining operations had not yet begun.
Mines were to be developed near Kalardasht on the northern slopes of the.
Elborz Mountains in Mazandaran' and at Sarkahnlu in the, east, where 5 grains
uranium per ton occurred in graphitic ore. 
 
 1Physicai scientist, Branch of Foreign Data. 
 
 2A11 data for Iranian calejidarj'ear beg)n on March 21 of the year indicated
and end on March 21) of the following year. 
 
 3Where necessary, values have been converted from Iranian Rials (Ris) to
U.S. dollars at the rate of Rls7O.50=US$1.OO. 
 
 4Middle East Economic Survey, (Cyprus). Iran. V. XXII, No. 31, May 21, 1979,
p. 11. 
 
 5Tehran Economist (Tehranj. Details on Several Major Copper Mines Given.
Apr. 8, 1978, p. 24. 
 
 6Tehran Journal. Tehran E,c.plorations Continued for More Ore Reserves.
Mar. 14, 1978 p.2 
 
 7Metal Bulletin Monthly Supplement. Iran Mining in the Public Sector. November
1918, p. 53. 
 
 8Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Committee on National
Resources, (Baii~gkok, Thailand). ~ctiyitias of Member Countries, Mineral
IJevelopment Activities in Iran. 6th Session, Oct. 31 - Nov. 5, 1979, 7 pp.

 
 9Schiebel Walther. New Strontium Qeposit in Iran. Industrial Minerals, (London).
No. 132. September 1978, pp. 54-58. 
 
 10Ettela't, (Tehran). Coke Production Up. Jan. 4, 1978, p. 
 
 
 ilMiddle East Econo1nic Survey (~yprus). Iran's Energy Perspective in the
1980 s. V. XXII, No. 4, Nov. 13, 1978. 
 
 ' 2Petroleu.m Economist, (London). Iran. V. XIV, No. 9, November 1978, p.
184.