Some 40 million liters of diesel and kerosene were exported from Mazandaran Province in northern Iran to Afghanistan and Iraq in the current Iranian year (ending March 19), National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company announced.
The export of oil products can help curb fuel smuggling to the two neighboring countries.
During the past eight years, Iran has implemented a national plan named Subsidy Reform Plan to adjust fuel prices and reduce smuggling.
According to officials, currently there is no gasoline smuggling in the country as it is not profitable for smugglers, but diesel is still being smuggled because of its low price in Iran compared with that of neighboring countries.
“During the 11-month period ending February 19, about 850 million liters of gasoline have been distributed by the provincial division of NIORDC, which indicates a 4% rise compared with the corresponding period of last year,” Hossein-Ali Talebi, the head of NIORDC’s Sari department, the provincial capital of Mazandaran, was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Talebi added that the company distributed 82 million liters of kerosene and 575 million liters of diesel in the country.
He said that in the same period, 1.439 billion liters of mazut have been distributed, showing a 28% decline compared with last year’s similar period due to the company's policies.
According to the official, 74,000 tons of liquefied gas and 265 million cubic meters of compressed natural gas have been distributed, which mark a 4% and 9% increase, respectively.
“The rise in liquefied gas and CNG distribution amount to a saving of 256 million liters,” Talebi added.
Sari is a strategic zone capable of storing 340 million liters of oil products and delivers premium gasoline to the provinces of Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan and Semnan.
Talebi noted that the volume of stored products has doubled compared to that of last year and there is no concern about meeting the high demand for premium gasoline during the Iranian New Year holidays.
