Mohsen Paknejad, speaking on Saturday during a visit to the Tehran Oil Refining Company, extended New Year greetings and wished for acceptance of worship during the holy month of Ramadan. 
He noted that the visit provided an opportunity to inspect one of Iran’s 10 major refineries, which processes crude oil and gas condensates.  

He highlighted that the Tehran refinery, one of the country’s largest with a daily capacity of 250,000 barrels of crude oil, plays a vital role in supplying petroleum products. Several projects at the refinery are underway, with some set for completion this year and others in the coming years.  

Paknejad added that some projects focus on improving fuel quality at the Tehran refinery, supporting environmental commitments, while others aim to increase production capacity to meet targets under the Seventh Development Plan. These projects are progressing well and will be operational on schedule.  

Crude use in value chain over exports

Paknejad noted that various plans are in place to use crude oil in the domestic value chain rather than exporting it, including the development of petro-refineries and small-scale refineries leveraging public capacity.  

He stressed that, in line with this year’s theme of "Investment for Production," efforts will focus on attracting private and non-governmental capital for small refinery projects that can be implemented with limited funding.  

Delays in Shahid Soleimani Refinery

The minister acknowledged that construction of the Shahid Soleimani Refinery, planned four years ago, has faced delays and insufficient progress. Given limited capital, priority will be given to high-return projects, while all previously planned refinery projects with allocated feedstock will remain on the agenda.  

Record fuel supply amid challenges  

Paknejad noted that last winter was particularly harsh in terms of low temperatures and prolonged cold spells. However, refining and distribution teams implemented measures that increased gasoline production capacity by 8 million liters per day.  

He praised oil industry workers for their efforts, citing record fuel oil deliveries to power plants—reaching 60 million liters per day during peak demand—as unprecedented. To minimize challenges next winter, preparations are underway to maintain adequate fuel reserves.