The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) will froze the gasoline export till March 2006 due to production reduction at the Heydar Aliyev oil refinery plant (former Azerneftyag), SOCAR told Trend.
According to SOCAR, it is related to installation of catalytic cracking producing gasoline at the plant. The plant has some fuel reserves to be sent to the Azerbaijans internal market, SOCAR stressed.
In late December 2005 SOCAR signed a contract with Singaporean Petrofarm on delivery of 50,000 tons of gasoline. The oil product will be shipped on FOB basis - pier 20 in the balance of Azrneftyag. Petrofarm will deliver gasoline to Iranian port Neka by the tankers of the Caspian Shipping Company.
The SOCAR also signed a contract with the Georgian Saknaphtobtransy Company on gasoline delivery in 2006. From March the Company is supposed to deliver 20,000 tons of gasoline per month