Minister of Oil: No Issues in Gasoline Supply, Plans in Place for Nowruz Fuel Provision
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad announced full readiness to ensure fuel supply during the Nowruz holidays, confirming that there are currently no issues in gasoline availability. While no decision has been made regarding fuel rationing, all necessary measures have been taken to ensure travelers have access to sufficient fuel.
Increase in Gas Consumption and Diesel Imports
Highlighting fuel supply imbalances this year, the minister explained that prolonged cold weather and increased gas consumption in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors led to a greater reliance on liquid fuel.
He stated that the ministry achieved significant milestones this winter, with approximately 1 billion liters of diesel imported during the months of Dey and Bahman. With a price of $0.60 per liter, the total value of these imports reached $600 million.
Paknejad emphasized that most of this diesel was supplied to power plants. However, due to the low efficiency of some aging facilities, only 30% of the fuel was converted into electricity, while 70% was wasted.
Increase in Gasoline Production and Expansion of Refining Capacity
With the year-end travel surge, the minister acknowledged a possible increase in gasoline imports. However, he noted that in the past four months, the country’s daily gasoline production has increased by approximately 8 million liters.
He attributed this increase to process optimizations in refineries and higher crude oil feedstock supply.
Additionally, Paknejad announced that the NGL 3100 project in Dehloran will be operational by the end of the year. This initiative aims to capture associated petroleum gas (APG) from oil fields in western Iran, improving the country’s energy security and efficiency.
Smart Fuel Distribution and Anti-Smuggling Measures
The minister further outlined government efforts to combat fuel smuggling, highlighting the implementation of the “Kashf” system, which leverages artificial intelligence to detect fuel distribution irregularities.
He explained that this system is capable of identifying fraudulent transport documents and preventing vehicles that have not been in operation from illegally receiving fuel quotas.
According to official reports, approximately 1.2 million liters of fuel-related violations are detected daily within the transportation sector. Moving forward, the government plans to implement a smart diesel distribution model, ensuring that vehicles can only refuel along designated routes. If a vehicle deviates from the assigned path, it will be unable to access fuel.
In closing, Paknejad emphasized that these measures will significantly reduce fuel smuggling, with further details on these initiatives set to be announced soon.
