TEHRAN, July 1 (UPI) -- Gasoline production from the Lavan oil refinery in Iran is expected to increase by nearly 500,000 gallons in coming days, a refinery director said.
A lack of refining capacity in the past forced Iran to start importing to meet energy needs. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last week at the Lavan refinery the upgrades would help Iran's energy sector become more self-sufficient.
Measures were enacted last year to curb the consumption of gasoline by Iranian drivers.
Lavan Managing Director Ali Dadvar said gasoline production from the Lavan refinery should increase from 285,000 gallons to 740,000 per day in the coming weeks, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported Sunday.
The Iranian government said it was working to overhaul refueling stations so Iranian consumers would start using gasoline blends that conform to European emissions standards.
The U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in a May report on Iran the country should stop importing gasoline at some point this year.
