Lavan Refinery to Launch New Gasoline Unit

Lavan Oil Refinery’s new gasoline production unit is expected to go on stream by March 2017, raising the refinery’s total gasoline output by 700,000 liters per day, managing director of Lavan Oil Refining Company said.

“Upon the launch of the new gasoline production unit, Lavan's total gasoline production capacity will reach 2.8 million liters a day and the quality will be enhanced to meet Euro-4 standards,” Mohammad Ali Akhbari was quoted as saying by ILNA.

The refinery’s current gasoline is of low quality, conforming to Euro-2 standards.

Founded in 1976 on Lavan Island in southern Hormozgan Province, the refinery has a  capacity of 55,000 barrels of oil per day. It receives 35,000 barrels of crude oil from Salman, Reshadat, Balal and Resalat offshore oilfields as well as 20,000 barrels of ultra light condensates from South Pars Gas Field.

Expressing satisfaction with the project’s development, he noted that if no technical problem arises, the gasoline unit will come on stream by March, the end of the current fiscal year.

  Development Plans

“In addition to building the gasoline unit, the refinery aims to implement other plans, which include raising octane number of the refinery’s products, curbing sulfur output, increasing liquefied gas production to 200 tons per day, diesel production to 3 million liters and jet fuel output to 1 million liters daily,” the official said. The plans are estimated to cost over $190 million.  

Abbas Kazemi, managing director of state-owned National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, told Mehr News Agency last month that the first phase of the Persian Gulf star Refinery, the Middle East's largest refinery in the port city of Bandar Abbas, will become operational by the end of the current fiscal year. It will produce 12 million liters per day of premium grade gasoline after its first development phase is completed.

Lavan and the Persian Gulf Star Refinery will carry much of the burden of gasoline production as the government strives to end gasoline imports in 2017.