Iran's gasoline production has hit a record with 77.4 million liters per day, marking a 16% hike, thanks to the recently launched Persian Gulf Star Refinery in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province.
According to Mohammad Reza Mousavikhah, the head of National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, the country's refineries produced 66.6 million liters of gasoline on average per day before the refinery went on stream in December, IRNA reported.
PGSR is being developed in three phases with a combined processing capacity of 360,000 barrels per day of condensate, a type of ultra light crude extracted from the giant South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf.
"The PGSR is currently producing some 11 million liters of gasoline per day, which have reduced the country's dependence on imports since its launch," he added.
According to the official, the country has to import over 12 million liters per day of gasoline to meet domestic demand, which is expected to shrink in the coming months when the refinery is fully operational.
Mousavikhah predicted that next fiscal year will see a huge leap in gasoline demand of around 87 million liters per day due to several factors such as the increase in vehicle production and imports as well as government refraining from raising gasoline prices.
This is while according to the reports, Iranians have burnt 80.3 million liters of gasoline per day on average during the current fiscal year that started on March 21, 2017, to March 12, showing an 8% increase compared with the corresponding period of last year.
