Sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Commerce for attempted illegal exports of gas detection equipment to Iran. The company received five-years probation and agreed to forfeit the seized 195 units of methane gas detectors to the U.S. government. The Department of Commerce imposed a $22,000 civil penalty against Refinery Industries, Inc. and denied the export privileges of the company and its president, Mahmood Reza Hashemi, for a period of 10 years. The Department of Commerce proved that between Refinery Industries, Inc. attempted to export illegally gas detection equipment to Iran, between May 1998 and August 1998.