Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh made the statement in the introduction ceremony of the new managing director of Tabriz Refinery, adding Iranian oil experts had great potentials and were able to construct and run several refineries simultaneously.

He also lauded domestic oil industrialists’ performance in the recent years as praiseworthy.

Mohammad-Baqer Khalili was appointed as the new managing director of Tabriz Refinery and Majid Balaneshin, former head, was appreciated for his efforts.

Nematzadeh also visited different sections of East Azarbaijan Province’s Oil Distribution Company.

He said domestic and overseas private sectors had helped the country construct four refineries of Persian Gulf, Hormuz, Anahita, and Pars.

Nematzadeh added Iranian refineries’ current capacity stood at 1.625 million barrels per day.

“The capacity will soar to 2.94 million barrels when the development plans are put into operation,” said the NIORDC head, adding the gasoline production and gas oil output in 2001 amounted to 37 million liters and 71 million liters daily respectively and predicting the figures would rise to 45 million liters and 82 million liters in the current year.

“When the new refineries come on stream, the gasoline production capacity will increase to 163 million liters from 42 million liters while the gas oil output will soar to 139 million liters from 80 million liters, kerosene to 42 million liters from 23 million liters, and gas liquid to 28 million liters from 8 million liters, but the furnace oil production will be less than the current 76 million liters as it will be transformed to light products,” Nematzadeh predicted.

Elaborating on the contracts the NIORDC signed in the previous yea, the official said, “We inked contracts, valued at some 8 million dollars, on gas production in Abadan, Isfahan, Bandar Abbas, Tehran, Tabriz, Arak, and Fars refineries.