Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said the country's gasoline production capacity had more than doubled since 2013, reaching 101 million liters per day, the ministry's news outlet Shana reported on Monday.
The minister's remarks came during the opening ceremony of Phase III of the Bandar Abbas Gas Condensate Refinery, also known as the Persian Gulf Star Refinery. According to Shana's report, Zangeneh said the inauguration of the first three phases of the refinery had led to a "major leap” in the country’s gasoline production capacity from the 50 million liters per day output back in 2013.
"Today, contrary to what was the case a decade ago that petrol [gasoline] imports could be subject to the sanctions, we are no longer an importer of the item and can even become a petrol exporter and the U.S. cannot have a word to say in this regard," the official said. Zangeneh added that Iran could export gasoline but had not started exports in order to enhance its domestic reserves.
The minister further said that production of Euro-4 gas oil had jumped from 6 million liters per day in 2012 to 44 million liters, while the daily output of Euro-4 and Euro-5 gas oil currently stands at 76 million liters. He also said that approvals in principle had been granted for refining 2 million barrels per day of crude oil, and the allocation of feedstock to the private sector for building new oil and gas condensate refineries in the country, Shana reported.
(Anadolu Agency)
