News in Brief
Crude refining capacity up 13%: Minister
Iran’s daily oil refining capacity has increased from 2.1 million barrels in August 2021 to 2.37 million barrels, said Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji, adding that the figure indicates a 13 percent rise.
In the previous government, there was no attention to the construction of refineries, he criticized, noting that the country will receive higher added value with the development of refineries and the production of more petroleum products, which also helps to bypass sanctions, IRNA reported.
In 2020, Iran’s total oil and gas revenues hit $7 billion, the minister said, adding that during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year, $30 billion worth of oil, natural gas and gas condensates were sold.
Iran is world’s third-largest producer of fresh dates: Official
Iran is the third-largest producer of the fresh dates in the world, announced the chairman of the Iranian National Date Association.
Mohsen Rashid Farrokhi said Iran exported $270 million worth of fresh dates to foreign countries in the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2023).
Speaking to IRNA, he said that the largest number of species of dates in the world belongs to Iran.
Dates are mainly produced in the provinces of Khuzestan, Hormuzgan, Kerman, Bushehr, Fars and Sistan and Baluchestan, he noted.
Egypt is the first producer of dates in the world, producing 1.8 million tons per year, followed by Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Iran stands in the first rank in the world in terms of the variety of species of dates, Farrokhi noted.
Iran can export about 30 percent of its dates (350,000 tons), to the target countries, he added.
The country exports its dates to the Central Asian countries, Europe, and Russia, the official highlighted.
With the adoption of accurate export policies, Iran can export between $600 million and $700 million worth of the product overseas within the next one or two years, Farrokhi added.