The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) signed an MoU with Bank Mellat on 15 January for the construction of a 948km pipeline bringing 150,000 b/d of petroleum products to North East Iran. The project will supply products from Rafsanjan in Kerman Province to Mashhad in Khorasan Razavi. NIORDC says the project will help shorten the “transmission route, reducing fuel consumption and reducing transportation costs,” as well as “facilitating the export of oil products to eastern neighboring countries.” In 2019, Iran exported $535mn of fuel products to Afghanistan, and shipments have again resumed since
August after the Taliban takeover (MEES, 27 August). Fuel is expected to be sourced from the 480,000 b/d Persian Gulf Star (PGS) capacity condensate splitter (MEES, 24 December 2020) in Bandar Abbas that is connected by an existing pipeline to Rafsanjan. (CONTINUED - 132 WORDS)