Iran puts building small-scale refineries on agenda

TEHRAN,Dec.21(MNA)-- Iranian oil ministry has put the construction of small-scale refineries with 2,000-10,000 barrels per day capacity on its agenda. The decision is aimed to speed up production and supply of oil products all over the country, especially in hard-to-pass and remote areas. A comprehensive plan is expected to be prepared in this regard within the next month. Iran plans to boost its oil refining capacity to 3.5 million barrels per day (mbpd) by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (March 2013) from the current volume of 1.7 mbpd, Iranian deputy oil minister Alireza Zeighami said. Development plans are underway in seven refineries nationwide, he added. Iran’s oil refining capacity increased 18 percent last year, the biggest growth among OPEC members, according to the Annual Statistical Bulletin of the 12-member organization. The capacity rose to 1.74 million barrels a day from 1.47 million in 2009 as facilities in Abadan, Arak, Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Lavan and Bandar Abbas expanded.