The project is less than a year old.

Speaking anonymously to the daily, an insider from the National Iranian Gas Co blamed the incident upon the use of “cheap quality” US and Canadian-made equipment in the US$20 million project. But the refinery was also plagued by design and engineering defaults from the start, according to the informant.

The insider said the refinery officials should face official censure for the debacle and answer to Iran’s State Inspectorate Organisation.

“The plant’s managers maintain that the refinery should be on the standby position to replace other refineries in case they malfunction but, given the situation, it is almost next to the impossible,” said the source. He lashed out at the refinery heads for resorting to stop-gap measures and for the fact the plant stopped production more than 10 times last year.