Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran is ready to export fuel oil and diesel in large amounts to neighboring countries.
Mostafa Kashkouli, Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC), said Iran is ready to export huge volumes of diesel and fuel oil to Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in the current year, Iran's IRNA news agency reported on May 20.
The Iranian solar year starts on March 20.
Previously, Asadollah Ahmadinejad, NIOPDC director for planning, had said that the company has been tasked with exporting 11.5 million liters of diesel and 35 million liters of fuel oil per day.
On May 18, Iranian deputy oil minister, Abbas Kazem said Iran will export 10 billion liters of fuel oil and diesel in the current year.
Under the international sanctions, three petrochemical units produced gasoline, he said, adding that the domestically produced gasoline was mixed with octane boosters and was supplied to the market. But, there is no longer need to produce such gasoline.
He added that the expansion of CNG stations can prevent excessive gasoline consumption.
On May 17, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the country will export gasoline in the next year once the Persian Gulf Start refinery's gasoline production unit comes on stream.
He added that once the Persian Gulf Start refinery's gasoline production unit comes on stream, the country will no longer need to import gasoline, Iran's ILNA news agency.
The facility will come on stream in the next Iranian calendar year.
Once the refinery comes on stream, the country's gasoline output will rise to 34 million liters per day. So, we can meet the domestic need and export about 15 million liters of gasoline per day, he said.
As we are planning to import premium gasoline as well, we may export a portion of the domestically produced gasoline, which is lower in terms of quality, he explained.
Edited by C.N.