TEHRAN (Iran News) –A member of Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union (OPEX) says Iran is currently exporting gasoline to West Africa and Eastern Europe and there is a huge potential in this field which should be noticed.
Speaking in a press conference, Hamzeh Varesi said that Iran was exporter of gasoline and gas oil for years in a way that it had the control of the Middle East market, adding that despite it, this year the country turned into an importing country because the country did not pay any attention to the private sector as the powerful arm of the establishment for energy production and at the same time the gas condensates is floating on the sea and its fate is undecided due to the sanctions.
He admitted that the harshest condition is imposed for delivery of feed, adding that the approach of distributing feed does not match with the slogan of support of production and removal of hurdles in way of feed provision for the private sector.
Varesi went on to say that currently export sector is working with only 5% of its capacity, adding that they are exemplary exporters and if not obstacle is created, the private sector can export over $500m.
He noted that the biggest challenge of the producers is internal sanctions, adding that in the last days of President Rouhani’s government it was announced that condensates with high quality will be provided for producing gas oil for power plants but with the change of the government, this issue was sidelined.
He went on to say that primary annual production and export of gasoline is 300,000 tons and the figure for the gas oil is 250,000 tons, adding that due to the restrictions, they changed their minds for expansion of the group, adding that they are trying to create rail transportation terminal and the MoU has been signed for it but the project is facing hurdle from the experts.
Varesi added that the private sector in the early days of its activity had oil derivative products and since 2022, it started production of engine oil and anti-freezing aimed at exporting to the Persian Gulf littoral states, West Africa and Eastern Europe. He stated that they entered the field of hydrocarbons four years ago.
Varesi who is the CEO of Caspian Chemical Pasargad Company said that unfortunately the government does not support them and the private sector and for this reason exporters are losing Kazakhstan and Armenia markets and they now have to search for new replacements for them.
He added that his company exports its gasoline to Afghanistan and Iraq and it has entered international market via the UAE market.
