Iran to become largest exporter of oil products by 2015

Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi stressed that the country’s oil industry is in a good status irrespective of the sanctions, and announced that Tehran plans to become one of the largest exporters of oil products in the region by the next three years. By March 2015 – March 2016) one million more barrels of crude oil will be turned into oil products (instead of selling it in the form of crude), “and we will become the largest exporter of oil products in the region”, Qassemi said in remarks carried by Iranian Fars news agency, on the sidelines of a ceremony held on Tuesday to launch several optimization units at Shahid Tondgouyan (Tehran) oil refinery. He said that processing the products, promoting the products’ quality and production of new products set an important priority for the Iranian oil and oil refining industry. As regards the West’s sanctions on the Iranian oil industry, Qassemi said, “The National Iranian Oil Company has taken wide strides to cut dependence (on foreign countries) and to confront the sanctions and we are in a good status now.” Shahid Tondgouyan refinery’s new units which started operation on Tuesday are able to improve the quality of the refinery’s products like gasoline, gasoil and kerosene.