Iran ends holiday season with daily gasoline use at above 120 mln

Iran’s daily gasoline consumption continued to rise on last days of the Persian New Year holiday season ending April 2 despite warnings by government authorities that the growing use may cause the country to resume imports of the fuel nearly a decade after domestic production reached a point of self-sufficiency.

Head of the Iranian Oil Ministry’s fuel department (NIORDC) said on Saturday that daily gasoline consumption had reached 121 million liters on March 31.

Karamat Veis Karami said that average use of gasoline during more than two weeks of holidays in Iran was around 112 million liters per day, an increase of 22% compared to March 16-April 2, 2021.

That comes as daily gasoline consumption had hit an all-time high of 131 million liters on March 19 just as the New Year celebrations were going to start.

The figures come despite repeated warning issued by Iranian government authorities suggesting that the country may need to resume imports of gasoline years after it ramped up domestic output to offset the impacts of foreign sanctions on fuel supply in Iran.

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They also come as road travel in Iran has returned to pre coronavirus levels.

Iran became a net exporter of gasoline in 2018 just before the United States pulled out of an international deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and imposed sanctions on the country.

Exports saw a boost in late 2019 when domestic use of gasoline declined to record lows of around 70 million liters per day following fuel price hikes announced by the government.

However, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said in late March that the NIORDC will resume exports of gasoline and diesel fuel right after the end of the New Year holidays.

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