Iran's petrochemical plants have produced around 2.2 billion liters of gasoline and diesel fuel since switching their production in mid-August, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Wednesday.
"After more than four months, production of gasoline in petrochemical plants has exceeded 1.2 billion liters," Mehr quoted National Petrochemical Company director for production control Ali Mohammad Basagh Zadeh as saying. Basagh Zadeh also said of the six petrochemical plants initially utilized for gasoline production only two continue to do so.
"Because of the decrease in gasoline consumption only 50% of the capacity in the Borzouyeh Petrochemical Company and Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company's aromatic unit are currently used to produce gasoline," Basagh Zadeh said, adding the gasoline production capacity at the country's petrochemical plants was 17 million liters/d.
The NPC official predicted the petrochemical sector's gasoline production would come to a gradual halt by maintaining the current downward trend in consumption following the recent unprecedented hike in fuel prices.
Basagh Zadeh added the country's petrochemical plants had also produced close to 1 billion liters of low-sulfur diesel fuel since mid-August for a total production of gasoline and diesel of around 9 million l/d.
Basagh Zadeh said Iran had minimized its imports of gasoline and diesel.
Separately, the NPC official said Iran had produced around 30 million mt of different petrochemical products since March 21, the beginning of the country's calendar year.
"It is predicted that the production of petrochemicals will reach close to 40 million mt [for the full year]," Basagh Zadeh said said.
He said that the country's petrochemical production capacity stands at 51 million mt.
Petrochemical plants were ordered to switch to gasoline production in mid-August as sanctions made it difficult for Iran to import refined products.
Iran's nine refineries produce around 45 million l/d of gasoline, forcing the OPEC oil producing state to import the balance to meet domestic demand, which averaged 63.5 million l/d before measures were adopted to try to curb high consumption that the subsidy system encouraged.
US sanctions that came into effect July 1 threaten punitive action against countries and companies that supply gasoline and other refined product to Iran as part of a concerted international effort to force Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment program.
Several of Iran's traditional suppliers of gasoline and diesel halted sales to Iran even before the sanctions came into effect, forcing the oil ministry to order petrochemicals plants to produce gasoline in order to make up the shortfall as imports dried up.
"After more than four months, production of gasoline in petrochemical plants has exceeded 1.2 billion liters," Mehr quoted National Petrochemical Company director for production control Ali Mohammad Basagh Zadeh as saying. Basagh Zadeh also said of the six petrochemical plants initially utilized for gasoline production only two continue to do so.
"Because of the decrease in gasoline consumption only 50% of the capacity in the Borzouyeh Petrochemical Company and Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company's aromatic unit are currently used to produce gasoline," Basagh Zadeh said, adding the gasoline production capacity at the country's petrochemical plants was 17 million liters/d.
The NPC official predicted the petrochemical sector's gasoline production would come to a gradual halt by maintaining the current downward trend in consumption following the recent unprecedented hike in fuel prices.
Basagh Zadeh added the country's petrochemical plants had also produced close to 1 billion liters of low-sulfur diesel fuel since mid-August for a total production of gasoline and diesel of around 9 million l/d.
Basagh Zadeh said Iran had minimized its imports of gasoline and diesel.
Separately, the NPC official said Iran had produced around 30 million mt of different petrochemical products since March 21, the beginning of the country's calendar year.
"It is predicted that the production of petrochemicals will reach close to 40 million mt [for the full year]," Basagh Zadeh said said.
He said that the country's petrochemical production capacity stands at 51 million mt.
Petrochemical plants were ordered to switch to gasoline production in mid-August as sanctions made it difficult for Iran to import refined products.
Iran's nine refineries produce around 45 million l/d of gasoline, forcing the OPEC oil producing state to import the balance to meet domestic demand, which averaged 63.5 million l/d before measures were adopted to try to curb high consumption that the subsidy system encouraged.
US sanctions that came into effect July 1 threaten punitive action against countries and companies that supply gasoline and other refined product to Iran as part of a concerted international effort to force Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment program.
Several of Iran's traditional suppliers of gasoline and diesel halted sales to Iran even before the sanctions came into effect, forcing the oil ministry to order petrochemicals plants to produce gasoline in order to make up the shortfall as imports dried up.
