Iran Gains Self-Sufficiency in Jet Fuel Production

Iran joined the club of jet fuel producers after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the third development phase of Abadan refinery, ushering the country into a new era of fuel self-sufficiency.

President Ahmadinejad inaugurated the second stage of the third phase of the development and renovation of Abadan refinery as Middle East’s oldest oil refinery, and a total of two million liters of gasoline per day will be added to the country’s gasoline production capacity.

The production of Euro4 gasoline is due to hit about 4mln liters per day after the third phase of Abadan refinery comes into full operation.

Yesterday, President Ahmadinejad stressed the necessity for building small refineries in different parts of the country to produce gasoline and gasoil for domestic consumption and to be able to export the products of giant refineries to foreign states.

“If we build small refineries in the country, they will be able to produce gasoline and gasoil in the next ten years and we can export the products of the big refineries,” Ahmadinejad said in a ceremony to inaugurate Iran’s Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (IRPI) in Tehran on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

He referred to Iran’s long-term strategy to develop its energy and oil industries, and said, “We have invested $25bln in the oil industry in recent years.”

Iran has expanded its refining capacity during the last couple of years, while its gasoline consumption has come down considerably following the implementation of the first phase of cutting energy subsidies.

The country plans to increase gasoline and gasoil production capacity by 64 and 12 million liters per day by completion of 9 ongoing development plans at its oil refineries.

These 9 projects include gasoline making units at Abadan, Tabriz, Isfahan, Bandar Abbas, Tehran (Shahid Tondgouyan), Imam Khomeini (Shazand) plus development and upgrading plans at Persian Gulf Star and Lavan oil refineries.

Following the implementation of these projects, production of kerosene and jet fuel will rise each by 7.4 million liters and liquid petroleum gas by 7.4 million liters per day.