Iran appears to have started up a new gasoline unit at Isfahan refinery which it previously stated would add 60,000-70,000 b/d output capacity of the fuel. State refining firm NIORDC claims that gasoline output hit a new record of 105mn liters/day (660,000 b/d) in recent weeks.
Iran’s gasoline production averaged 540,000 b/d for January-July 2018 according to the latest data submitted to Jodi, so this represents a 120,000 b/d (22%) increase. This hike cannot be attributed solely to the start up of the third 120,000 b/d condensate splitter at the Persian Gulf Star (PGS) plant near the port of Bandar Abbas which would add 77,000 b/d. The previous Gulf Star phases were brought online in April 2017 and February 2018 (MEES, 26 October 2018). These gains may be sufficient to enable the halting of gasoline imports, which averaged 55,000 b/d over the first half of 2018. (CONTINUED - 142 WORDS)