PremiumIran's LPG output, export increase

By Dalga Khatinoglu

Iran increased both liquid gas output and export during last seven months.

Abdol-Hossein Samari the deputy of deputy director of the National Iranian Gas Co. (NIGC) told Shana on Nov.19 that that Iran's liquid petroleum gas (LPG) production increased to 971,000 metric tons in the first seven months of current fiscal year, while the figure was 414,000 metric tons during the same period in last year.
Iran's fiscal year started on March 21.

Liquid petroleum gas consists mostly of propane and butane.
Producing 971 kilo metric tons of LPG during the seven months in Iran was done, while the country's liquid propane and butane exports were more than 2 million metric tons, or above two times more than production amount.

According to the Iran Custom Administration's latest monthly report, Iran exported 1.217 million metric tons of liquid propane and 851,000 metric tons of liquid butane.

The Custom's annual reports indicate that Iran's liquid butane and propane export was 4.124 million metric tons during the fiscal year correspond to 2011, before the U.S. and EU imposed sanctions on Iran.

The U.S. and Europe Union imposed sanctions on Iran's crude oil and petrochemical exports in mid.2012, then the country's liquid butane and propane exports dropped by 24.91 percent during this year.

Iran's liquid propane and butane export also was about 2.455 million metric tons in last fiscal year. Then it seems Iran stored a huge amount of unsold liquid butane and propane during last two years, but Iran has only 24,000 tones of storage capacities for liquid gas. On the other hand, the annual report of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) indicates that Iran's surplus LPG to be exported has never been more than one million metric tons during last 10 years.

It seems NIORDC or Samari's statistics consist of Iran's LPG production, but Custom's statistics calculate the liquid butane and propane exports.

The latest annual report of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) indicates that Iranians consumed 2.19 million metric tons of LPG during the fiscal year corresponds 2012.
There is no updated statistics about Iran's LPG consumption volume since 2012.

Below is Iran's fossil energy carriers consumption according to the data derived from National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) annual reports. (Iran's fiscal year begins on March 20).

Iran's propane and butane exports increased by 111.71 percent (2.1 times) and 50.29 percent respectively during the first seven months of current fiscal year, compared the same period in the last year, according to the custom's report.

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