Documents and information obtained indicate serious ambiguities in the process of holding the bid for supplying catalysts to the oxychlorination unit of Arvand Petrochemical. According to informed sources, these ambiguities strengthen the possibility of intermediaries' involvement and influence in one of the most important contracts of this petrochemical complex.
Winning of a Non-Specialized Company
According to these documents, a company named "Petrorefinery Explorers of Mahshahr" has been announced as the winner of this bid. A review of this company's activity history shows that its main area of activity in recent years has been purchasing scrap and concluding contracts related to industrial waste, and it does not have a clear and specialized background in supplying petrochemical process catalysts. This issue raises serious questions about the technical and specialized criteria for evaluating proposals in this bid.
The Role of Brokerage and Mediation
Informed sources claim that the high value in foreign currency and rials of the catalyst supply contract has made this bid one of the most important purchase contracts of Arvand Petrochemical. The entry of a company lacking specialized experience into such a project can only be justified by the existence of a network of brokerage and mediation. According to these sources, this company effectively acts as an intermediary in supplying the catalyst and will receive significant profit from the contract.
Financial Connections and Influence
The referenced documents show evidence of financial connections and previous collaborations between Ali Gharavi and Mojtaba Mansouri, managers of this company, with some petrochemical industry managers, including Yadollah Mosaddeghi Fard, former CEO of Amir Kabir and Bou Ali. The sources providing the documents believe that these connections could have facilitated influence in the bidding process and sidelined real competition among specialized suppliers.
Need for Transparency and Oversight
Given the strategic importance of catalysts in the production of petrochemical products and the high value of these contracts, it is expected that oversight bodies will thoroughly review the bidding process, the method of verifying the technical qualifications of the winning company, and the reasons for its selection, to clarify the truth or falsehood of these claims. Any deviation from the competitive process could not only impose heavy costs on Arvand Petrochemical but also pave the way for the expansion of brokerage and rent-seeking in the petrochemical industry's supply chain.