After years of delays, Iran is now making progress in commissioning the technically challenging 320,000 b/d South Azadegan Central Treatment Export Plant (CTEP). The second of four 80,000 b/d trains was brought online in December, bringing the facility’s capacity up to 160,000 b/d, the oil ministry’s Shana news agency reports. The remaining two trains (A and B) are undergoing mechanical completion and should enter service by March 2026 (MEES, 28 November 2025).
The CTEP facility is a key project for Iran as it targets capacity gains from Azadegan and the other fields in the West Karun cluster. This cluster is comprised of a number of fields that extend across the border into Iraq. The 165,000 b/d capacity West Karun Processing Plant (WKKP) handles crude from across the cluster, but has been maxed out as it was processing volumes from South Azadegan due to the CTEP delays. With this bottleneck removed, production can be ramped up at other West Karun fields. (CONTINUED - 159 WORDS)