...

Iran looks stable despite soar in gasoline consumption

Business Materials 5 July 2016 16:02 (UTC +04:00)
The latest official statistics indicate that Iran has increased gasoline imports by 25 percent in the current fiscal year (FY), started on March 20, while the demand for gasoline is expected to increase by about 30 percent this week due to Ramadan holidays and starting summer vacations.
Iran looks stable despite soar in gasoline consumption

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Dalga Khatinoglu – Trend:

The latest official statistics indicate that Iran has increased gasoline imports by 25 percent in the current fiscal year (FY), started on March 20, while the demand for gasoline is expected to increase by about 30 percent this week due to Ramadan holidays and starting summer vacations.

Iran's gasoline demand increased by 2 percent last FY to 71 million liters per day (ml/d), while its imports doubled to about 9 ml/d. Since the beginning of FY, Iran increased gasoline imports to around 12 ml/d, while the demand stood at 72 ml/d.

Iranian officials say the big amount of imports was aimed to increase the storage capacity of fuel. It seems Iran's gasoline consumption will see a little increase in the current FY.

The Deputy Oil Minister and CEO of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) Abbas Kazemi told Trend on June 29 that Iran has planned importing only 8 ml/d of gasoline in current the FY.

Iran is preparing to commence the Bandar Abbas Refinery’s gasoline units by late September. The country also would inaugurate the first phase of the Persian Gulf Star refinery and add 12 ml/d of gasoline to the production capacity by March 2017.

The construction of the refinery has been accomplished by over 90 percent, Kazemi told Trend, adding that the full operational of the project would add 36 ml/d of gasoline to the country's output level.

A glance at Iran's gasoline production/demand

NIORDC's statistics show that the country has been a gasoline importer during the last three decades.

Iran's gasoline consumption decreased dramatically in 2005 due to soaring of CNG production. During 2005-2012 the CNG production increased by 5 times to 19 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d), which led to gasoline demand decrease, but since then and until now, the gasoline consumption increased by 8.5 ml/d.

NIORDC's statistics show that Iran used to import 21 ml/d of gasoline before the U.S.-generated sanctions against the country in 2009. The figure accounted for 40 percent of domestic consumption.

The figure dropped to 10.34 ml/d in 2010. Iran respectively imported 6.32, 1.75, and 3.5 ml/d of gasoline during 2011-2013.

Iran compensated gas import fall by producing non-standard gasoline in petrochemical plants. The country stopped petrochemical gasoline production last year.

Dalga Khatinoglu is the head of Trend Agency's Iran news service, follow him on Twitter: @dalgakhatinoglu

Tags:
Latest

Latest