1982: Iran Begins Importing Refined Petroleum

Iran becomes a net importer of refined products, despite its huge oil reserves. Iran begins importing refined oil products to compensate for the inability of its refineries to keep up with internal demand. [US Department of Energy, 3/2005] In 1979, Iran’s refinery capacity was just 750,000 bpd. [Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections, 2/25/2004]