Iran’s President Rohani on 30 April launched the first of three 120,000 b/d Persian Gulf Star (PGS) condensate splitters at Bandar Abbas. But the project, under construction since 2007 and delayed by international sanctions, is unlikely to immediately enable Iran to halt gasoline imports.
Iran’s reliance on gasoline imports became a critical issue during the years of sanctions targeting Tehran’s nuclear program, which were eased in January 2016. State refiner NIORDC expanded gasoline units at existing refineries with the aid of Chinese contractors and bulked out the fuel with additives from petchems plants – a practice that was halted because of growing pollution concerns (MEES, 25 April 2014). (CONTINUED - 794 WORDS)
