Coronavirus has not affected Iran’s oil refining capacity: Official

The official said that NIORDC was among the few groups throughout the world that did not reduce its refining capacity during the pandemic, Shana reported.

Meanwhile, the secretary general of Iran’s Oil Refining Industry Companies Association (ORICA) put the country’s oil refining capacity at two million barrels per day.

The country’s refineries are now converting two million barrels of crude oil into oil products at full capacity on a full-time basis, said Nasser Ashouri.

He added, “The activities of the refineries, in addition to meeting domestic needs, have led to the export of surplus products, which plays a significant role in combatting sanctions.”

Refineries play an important role in the country’s economy, he underscored.

The official went on to say that in addition to the main products, 32 special products are produced in refineries, which are allocated with priority to domestic needs to supply feed to oil-related industries such as petrochemicals.

Ashouri further pointed to the role of refineries in employment and production in the country and said that 32,000 people are directly employed in this sector, while all refineries are now run by domestic experts; not a single foreign engineer is employed in this industry.