In an interview with Shana, NIOPDC’s managing director, Mr. Alireza Zeighami added the amount exceeds the daily gasoline imports over the past years.

‘upgrading and rising gasoline production are being implemented in seven oil refineries including Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Shazand, Lavan, Abadan and Bandar Abbas and on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution victory in next February, Iran’s gasoline production capacity will rise at least by 10 million liters,’ Zeighami said.

He continued: ‘after intensifying gasoline sanctions by West, the schedule to implement these plans were tightened and for example the number of workforce in the Shazand project increased to 8400 from 3000.'

According to Zeighami, Shazand Oil Refinery is producing 4.7 million liters of gasoline a day that will be raised to 6 million liters by start-up of the first phase of upgrading plan in next February and to 16 million liters per day next Iranian calendar year starting on March 21 2011.

The official noted that rising oil products output in Abadan Refinery has gained momentum and on the anniversary of Islamic Revolution victory in February 2011, we would witness rising gasoline production capacity in the refinery.

Gasoline production capacity in the Abadan and Tabriz oil refineries is going to increase by 11 million liters per day in next two and half years while the Persian Gulf Star Oil Refinery plans to produce 35 million liters of gasoline by processing 360 thousand barrels of gas condensates at the same time.

By implementation of gasoline production plans in petrochemical plants, Iran’s total gasoline production capacity reached 66.5 million liters a day recently making Iran self sufficient in gasoline production.

At present, Iran’s oil refineries are producing 45 million liters of gasoline a day.