TEHRAN, Aug 29 (Shana) Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company (NIOPRDC) Abbas Kazemi says he hoped that Iran will turn into exporter of 1,500,000 bpd of oil products by the Iranian year 1404 (2025-26) once refining projects come on stream.
Speaking to a press conference on the occasion of the Government Week (August 23-29), Kazemi said this year, 400,000 bpd oil products were exported daily and efforts are underway to raise the amount up to 500,000 bpd to 600,000 bpd.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Kazemi said Italian company, Eni, is to be active in Iran's Pars Refinery as more major refining companies are willing to be present in Iran.
He hoped Iran's refining sector will undergo major upgrades in the near future.
He said after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), South Korean, Japanese and Italian companies have voiced readiness to undertake Iranian refining projects and Iran is busy signing contracts with the world's major companies.
He went on to refer to three major projects, including the 150,000 barrel Anahita refinery, Pars Shiraz gas condensate project and Siraf project, and said they are getting implemented by private sector capital.
He said over the past 160 days, 12 million liters of gasoline were imported and they are reserved in inventories and pipelines.
"The rise in gasoline imports does not mean upward growth of consumption, rather it means the reserves are in a favorable level. Today, Iranian gasoline inventory capacity has risen by 700 million liters."
He hoped that gasoline imports will be between six and seven million liters a day.
At the end of his remarks, Kazemi said the gasoline production unit of Lavan refinery and Bandar Abbas refinery will be operational by the second half of this year.
He said the distillation section of Persian Gulf Star Refinery will be semi-operational by end of the first half of this year and fully operational by the fall season.