Iran’s gasoline imports nearly doubled in the first seven months of the current Iranian year (began March 21) compared with the corresponding period of last year, said managing director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC).
“During April 21-October 22, an average of 8.4 million liters of gasoline were imported daily while the figure stood at 4.6 million liters a year ago,” Seyyed Nasser Sajjadi was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
One of the reasons behind the surge in imports has been the periodic overhaul undertaken in the Imam Khomeini Oil Refining Company of Shazand and Arak in Markazi Province, a major gasoline production unit, in early summer, which lowered output.
“Additionally, the average national consumption rose by 3%,” he said, stressing that all shipments constituted Euro-4 grade gasoline and the strategic reserves of the country are currently balanced.
Contrary to gasoline, consumption rates of other oil products, including diesel, kerosene, mazut and liquefied gas, had a negative growth over the same period compared to the previous year. Sajjadi said the main reason behind the drop in the use of liquefied gas was a 5.4-billion-cubic-meter hike in gas supply to industries and power plants as feedstock, storing over 6.7 billion liters of diesel and mazut in national reserves since the beginning of the year.
“Diesel consumption in power plants practically halved during April-October, while mazut was burned up 30% less than the year before,” he said.
The Islamic Republic is one of Pakistan’s major liquefied gas suppliers. It exported more than 800,000 tons of diesel to Armenia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, while more than 30,000 tons of liquefied gas were dispatched overseas besides 2,500 tons of kerosene to Iraqi Kurdistan.
