Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 3/ Trend M. Moezzi
Petrol use has outstripped production in Iran because of delays in starting new petrol production projects and oil refineries and higher consumption rates, Mehr news agency reported.
While 60 million liters of petrol are produced daily in Iran, 64 million liters are consumed.
The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) has been unable to carry out 10 new plans designed to boost and optimize petrol production. Since the solar year began on March 20, only two projects have become operational at the Tehran oil refinery.
Meanwhile delayed expansion and optimization plans for the Lavan, Tabriz, Esfahan, Bandar Abbas, Abadan and Imam Khomeini Shazand refineries have finished their preliminary phases.
Those delays and higher petrol consumption have forced Iran's government to turn to its petrochemical sector. Currently, the country's petrochemical units produce 9 to 10 million liters of petrol daily.
In the first six months of this year, Iranians have used 63.8 million liters of petrol a day on average compared to 60.8 million liters over the same period last year.
Diesel fuel consumption has averaged 92 million liters a day which is a 3.4 percent increase from the 88.6 million liters used on average over the same time last year.