The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company in Khorasan Razavi Province is planning to increase the export of oil products to neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, managing director of Khorasan Razavi's NIORDC, said.
"The government has called for increasing the export of oil products to bordering countries as one of its major policies," Mohammad Mehdi Qaraei was quoted by IRNA as saying.
Following the decree, buyers were presented to NIORDC, resulting in the export of more than 38 million liters of diesel to Afghanistan since March. Of the total, 17.6 million liters were exported via Border-Dwellers Cooperative and the rest directly from the region's depository.
Pointing to Afghanistan's need for diesel, the official said Khorasan Razavi is an advantageous region thanks to its robust infrastructure that encompasses the 20-inch Tehran-Mashhad pipeline, which is tailored to receive oil products, including regular and Euro-4 gasoline, regular and Euro-4 diesel, kerosene and jet fuel.
"Part of oil products' transit from Iran is carried out illegally by smugglers," Qaraei said. "The main objective of the government for promoting export of oil products is to prevent smuggling and recover revenues."
Nasser Sajjadi, managing director of NIORDC, said in May Tehran and Kabul already have a deal based on which Iran exports one million liters of diesel per day to Afghanistan.
"There is a 15-million-liter surplus capacity for the export of diesel and kerosene to the international markets," he added.
