Isfahan oil refinery's gasoline production rising

Operator of the Isfahan oil refinery's gasoline making unit, Elyas Toghyani told the oil ministry's website that the project includes making a naphtha hydrogen treatment unit, a catalytic conversion unit and an isomerization unit. He went on to say that by launching the project, not only Isfahan oil refinery's gasoline production capacity would rise from 9 to 12 million liters per day but the quality of the gasoline produced by the refinery would be improved. "Isfahan oil refinery is currently producing 87 octane gasoline which will be boosted to 90 and 95 octane gasoline after launching new gasoline making unit," the official said. He said the project would be completed at a total cost of 4,700 billion rials (USD300mln) of which 3,760 billion rials (USD200mln) has already been spent. The official further said construction of the unit required 130 essential items of which 70 items have been manufactured at home. Gasoline making unit of Isfahan oil refinery is part of a development plan which is underway through cooperation with domestic contractors. The project also plans to reduce fuel oil production, increasing gasoline production and improving the quality of products produced by the oil refinery along with observing environmental criteria. Covering a 340 hectare area, the refinery was launched in 1979 and produces 23 percent of oil products of the country. The 375 thousand barrels oil refinery meets its feedstock through a 430 kilometers oil pipeline from Maroun oil region, 70 kilometers of Ahwaz city, south of Iran. The refinery was transferred to private sector in 2007 based on Article 44 of Iran's Constitution on the necessity of privatization. Based on Iran's Industrial Management Organization's statistics, Isfahan oil refinery was the biggest revenue maker company in the country in 2009 with selling 11 billon dollars of oil products.