Iran plans to export 10 million liters of kerosene and fuel jet and 3,000 tons of liquefied fuel on average per day in the current Iranian calendar year (began March 21), deputy oil minister said.
Iran will increase export of “strategic petroleum products, excluding gasoline,” in the current year, Abbas Kazemi, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) was quoted by Mehr news agency as saying.
Recent plans to expand gas supplies to 100 million cubic meters (mcm) and replace natural gas with liquefied fuel to generate electricity in power plants have engendered a surplus capacity, which could be exported to global markets, especially to customers in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.
Expansion of gas supply network in the eastern parts of the country, in particular Sistan and Baluchestan Province, has brought about 10 million liters of surplus kerosene. Export of petroleum products will surge if several petrochemical projects go into operation as planned this year.
Power plants and other major fuel consuming industries have also cut down on consumption of liquid fuel over the past year. Power plants’ use of liquid fuel, including gasoline, gasoil and fuel oil, is expected to drop to 6 billion liters this year.
Iran is set to start export of gasoline upon completion of the Persian Gulf Star Refinery in the port city of Bandar Abbas in less than two years.
