SOCAR says peak capacities of gasoline output to be by 2017
Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR seeks to produce a little more than 6.5 million metric tons of oil products in 2015, SOCAR vice president on refining issues Javid Mammadov told reporters.
“Level of gasoline consumption significantly increases in Azerbaijan,” Mammadov said. “If it continues to increase, our capacities will reach the breaking point by 2017 and we will not be able to provide further growth of consumption. So, reconstruction and modernization are needed.”
He went on to add that the decision to produce only AI-92 gasoline on existing refineries was made April 2014, and the domestic demand for AI-95 gasoline will be achieved through imports.
“It will also contribute to the relative improvement of the ecological situation, as Euro-5 gasoline and diesel fuel are currently the most environmentally friendly,” Mammadov said. “Given the fact that consumers of AI-95 gasoline are mainly private companies and well-to-do citizens, it does not affect the increase of social tension. At the moment we are working on this program. The share of A-92 gasoline in total consumption is 95 percent. In the future we will produce A-95 gasoline as well.”
He said that in accordance with the plan, production of Euro-5 gasoline will begin since 2018 after the completion of reconstruction work at the refinery.
SOCAR is the only producer of petroleum products in Azerbaijan.
It has two refineries and owns filling stations in Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Switzerland.
The company exported 1.2 million metric tons of petroleum products
from the country in 2014, compared to 1.05 million metric tons in
2013.
---
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz