TEHRAN: The first phase of extra-heavy crude refinery was inaugurated by the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in the southern island of Qeshm on Friday, Iranian Student News Agency ISNA reported. The complex, which is Iran’s first extra-heavy crude refinery, will promote the export of by-products of crude refinement, such as bitumen, said the report. According to official news agency IRNA, Gholamhossein Ramezanpour, an energy official, said on Thursday that by operating this refinery, 35,000 barrels per day of high quality bitumen will be produced. Euro 2005 standards and environmental issues have been taken into account in the refinery’s output, which would help the refinery’s exports, Ramezanpour told IRNA. With exploiting this production unit, 400 people will be directly employed and more than 1,000 people will be indirectly engaged in related job opportunities, according to ISNA.