Tehran, Iran, November 3
By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:
Deputy Oil Minister Abbas Kazemi said Iran is going to begin operating three new gasoline production complexes by late March, which will increase Iran's gasoline output by 24 million liters per day.
Iran is working on five new projects for producing Europ-4 gasoline and gas oil, he said, the Mehr news agency reported November 3.
Further, the gasoline production section at the Isfahan oil refinery will soon become operational, which will produce seven million liters of Euro-4 gasoline per day, Kazemi noted.
The official added that besides plans to improve the production of gasoline, work is also underway to improve the quality of gas oil fuel.
Plans call for Euro-4 gas oil to be produced at Lavan oil refinery, Kazemi added.
Also, he said, the Bandar Abbas refinery will boost its Euro-4 gas oil production by nine million liters per day by March.
Kazemi further noted that when Iran's Persian Gulf Star refinery become operational, Iran will become an exporter of gasoline, with an expected daily output of 36 million liters.
The first phase of Iran's Persian Gulf Star refinery will come on stream with 120,000 barrels output by 2016.
In the first six months of the current Iranian year, 66 gasoline cargos were brought to Iran, three of which were returned due to their not meeting expected standards.
Daily gasoline consumption in Iran hit 75.77 million liters in the week ending on Sept. 4.
The country's gasoline output is currently some 64 million liters, requiring the country to import enough to meet domestic requirements. To date, the Islamic Republic only imports Euro-4 gasoline.
Iran is now importing 6.5 million liters of gasoline, on average, per day.