Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 26 / Trend F.Mehdi/
Gasoline consumption in Iran has risen by one billion liters during the first ten months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20, 2012, compared to the same period the previous year, the Shana News Agency reported.
Gasoline consumption hit 60 million liters per day in the tenth calendar month of Day (December 21, 2012-January 19, 2013), showing 7.3 percent growth compared to the same month last year.
Deputy Manager of National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) Naser Sajjadi has said that Iran's gasoline consumption increases by five per cent each year.
He also said that considering the official reference rate of 12,260 rials to the US dollar, the real price of gasoline in Iran is 10,000 rials (about 82 U.S. cents).
Currently gasoline is sold at two prices: a 60 liter monthly allowance at 4000 rials (33 cents) per liter and any amount above that at 7000 rials (57 cents) per liter.
Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said on September 21, 2012 that Iran will boost its gasoline production capacity by 10 million liters in the near future.
The Managing Director of Lavan Oil Refinery Company (LORC) Mohammad-Ali Dadvar said last week that Iran will double its gasoline production capacity at Persian Gulf refineries by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20).
The refineries' produced gasoline meets Euro-5 standard, he said.
In December 2012, IRNA quoted Ali-Mohammad Sha'eri, the Iranian environment protection department's deputy director, as saying that some 50 million liters of gasoline and diesel, meeting Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards, will be produced in Iran by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.
In October 2012, ISNA quoted National Iranian Oil Production and Distribution Company's managing director Alireza Zeighami as saying that Iran is currently producing 25 million liters of premium gasoline per day, meeting Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards.
The country's gasoline output is projected to hit 70 million liters per day by the end of the next Iranian calendar year, he added.
According to official government data, Iranian gasoline imports have slumped by as much as 95 per cent over the last four years as rising refinery capacity and lowering fuel subsidies help neutralise Western sanctions aimed at starving Tehran of fuel.
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