Baku, Azerbaijan, September 12
By Khalid Kazimov -- Trend:
Iran has exported 560 million liters of gas oil in the first 160 days of the current Iranian fiscal year (which started March 21), CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company Nasser Sajjadi said.
He stated that the amount has earned Iran some $250 million, IRNA news agency reported September 12.
"Until last year we had to import gas oil. But as more natural gas started to go to industrial units, the consumption of gas oil has decreased so much so that we have become an exporter of gas oil for the first time," he stated.
Iran is the world's leading country in terms of natural gas reserves. Relying on this fact, the Oil Ministry has started replacing gas for liquid fuels in power plants, industrial units, and even cars to lower the cost of producing liquid fuels.
According to Sajjadi, part of the exported gasoline this year was carried by land to Pakistan and Afghanistan, and part shipped to other countries.
"We have also finalized a gas oil export deal with Iraq and the export has already kicked off," he said.
"Oversight over diesel-powered vehicles and the fight against gas oil smuggling, as well as a reduction in gas oil consumption at power plants are the main reasons behind the decreasing gas oil consumption in the country."
According to Iranian Energy Ministry's latest weekly report, the diesel consumption in Iran's power plants decreased by 37.2 percent to 1.773 billion liters in 161 days of current fiscal year.
Iran's diesel consumption in 2013 was 105.4 million liters per day, 8.4 percent more than the previous year, while the production level was 97.7 million liters per day.
The transportation sector shared about 50 percent of Iran's total gas oil consumption in 2013, while power, industrial and agriculture sectors shared 29 percent, 7 percent and 10 percent.
Iran increased raw gas production capacity by 100 mcm/d in 2014 to 660 mcm/d, while the same growth pace is expected for current year. Iran says it is preparing to increase the volume to 1,000 mcm/d by 2018.
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