Iranian petrochemical production revenues amounted to $1.1 billion in the month ending April 20.
According to Mehr News Agency, the petrochemical complexes' production amounted to 4.7 million tons between March 21 and April 20.
Of the total output, 1.3 million tons worth $8.5 million were sold locally to meet domestic needs.
The nominal production capacity of 57 major petrochemical complexes, mostly concentrated in the cities of Mahshahr (Khuzestan Province) and Asalouyeh (Bushehr Province), stands at 62 million tons per year.
Reportedly, 20 complexes in Mahshahr produced 1.7 million tons of petrochemicals in the 30-day period. Close to 638,000 tons of goods worth $334 million were sold to international customers.
Nominal production capacity of petrochemical plants in Mahshahr amounts to 25.6 million tons.
Production from 16 complexes in Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in Asalouyeh hit 2.3 million tons in the period, of which 999,000 tons worth $738 million were exported to foreign markets. The nominal capacity of 16 complexes in Asalouyeh is estimated to be 32.7 million tons per year.
Other petrochemical complexes produced a total of 700,000 tons in one month, of which 341,000 ton worth $258 million were exported.
Petrochemical is Iran's most important industry after oil and gas.
According to Fariborz Karimaei, the deputy director of Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Exporters Union, increasing the sector's exports by $20 billion requires an investment of $50 billion that should mostly come from foreign sources.
The official said last month that petrochemical exports currently have a $10-11 billion share in the country's annual revenues that, under Iran's Sixth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2017-22), are expected to exceed $30 billion.
The lion's share of petrochemical exports is bound for China, India and South Korea. China alone receives over 50% of Iran's exports.
Holding some of the world's largest crude oil and natural gas reserves, Iran's petrochemical industry is comparatively underdeveloped.
The National Petrochemical Company hopes to lift nominal output capacity to 120 million tons per annum by 2022.
