Iran’s Liquid Fuel Stocks Ready for Winter

Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said the country’s liquid fuel stocks are in good condition to help ensure uninterrupted power supplies through the cold season.

Speaking Tuesday, Sept. 15, as he outlined the state of Iran’s energy infrastructure, Paknejad said attacks on gas facilities had reduced the country’s gas processing capacity by about 230 million cubic meters per day. So far, about 100 million cubic meters per day of that capacity has been offset by using available capacity at other gas processing plants.

He said measures have been taken to ensure a stable supply of fuel to power plants, adding that liquid fuel stocks, particularly diesel, are expected to reach about 3.5 billion liters by the beginning of November.

Paknejad said sufficient capacity has also been allocated to supply fuel oil to power plants, allowing them to increase their use of liquid fuels as gas deliveries decline and helping prevent electricity blackouts.

The minister also pointed to higher domestic production of liquid fuels, particularly diesel. Iran was still importing diesel as recently as mid-last year, he said, but the country has not imported diesel for some time.

According to Paknejad, the increase in diesel production is partly attributable to higher crude oil feedstock deliveries to refineries and partly to changes in refinery processing operations. Both factors have contributed to higher liquid fuel output.

Looking ahead, Paknejad expressed hope that the Persian Gulf Star Refinery expansion will come onstream by the end of the year. He said the project could make a significant contribution to balancing domestic supply and demand for gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products.

Paknejad thanked the public for their cooperation in helping the country pass through the cold season smoothly and called for continued efforts to optimize consumption of energy carriers, including natural gas, gasoline and electricity. - Shana