Iran Open Data Center, citing a confidential document from the Ministry of Oil, reported that in recent years, the Iranian regime has used hazardous and contaminated compounds to produce gasoline.
According to the report published on Sunday, May 25, the Iranian regime carried out a widespread and systematic campaign of “adding chemical compounds produced outside the refinery cycle” to compensate for the gasoline shortage in the country.
Iran Open Data Center wrote in its report: These compounds include methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)—a banned petrochemical additive—and other aromatic octane boosters, which are added to gasoline to increase its octane rating.
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Data from a confidential report by the Ministry of Oil obtained by Iran Open Data Center indicates that between 2022 and 2024, the blending of these hazardous materials with refinery-produced gasoline increased by about four times compared to previous years.
These compounds have been used even in refineries that claim to produce fuel according to Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards.
Although official statistics suggest that one-third of Iran’s gasoline is produced in accordance with Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards, the confidential Ministry of Oil report shows that even these fuels are contaminated with hazardous chemicals.
Javad Owji, the former oil minister of the Iranian regime, at the time announced the resumption of petrochemical gasoline production. Hamidreza Haji Babaei, the head of the 2024 Budget Consolidation Commission, also confirmed the signing of a $2.7 billion contract with petrochemical companies for gasoline production.
Statistics on additives produced outside refineries
Iran Open Data Center further wrote in its report that the Shazand refinery, which is considered the largest producer of Euro-standard gasoline in Iran, uses approximately 350,000 liters of the banned additive MTBE daily in its products.
This figure is 325,000 liters per day for the Isfahan refinery, the second-largest producer of Euro-standard gasoline in Iran.
Meanwhile, according to Iran Open Data Center, many countries have banned the use of this compound due to its “high potential for contaminating groundwater sources.”
The report continues: “In 2023, the average daily production of base gasoline at the country’s refineries was 101 million liters. With the addition of about 20 million liters of additives produced outside the refineries, this figure reached 121 million liters; nevertheless, it still falls short of the domestic daily consumption by 2.5 million liters.”
The production of petrochemical gasoline in Iran dates back to the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. After gasoline exports to Iran were sanctioned in 2010, the then-government used petrochemical products as a substitute for gasoline in an emergency plan known as the “Rapid Gasoline Production Plan.”
Rahmatollah Hafezi, then head of the Health Commission of Tehran City Council, stated in February 2014, referring to a daily increase of 22 deaths in Tehran during polluted days: “Non-standard petrochemical fuel emits 35 times the normal level of benzene into the air.”
Severe consequences of using contaminated compounds
Iran Open Data Center wrote in its report that the confidential document from the Ministry of Oil did not clarify the “type, composition, or effects” of the contaminated chemical substances used in gasoline production and only used vague terms such as “materials received from petrochemical plants” and “octane boosters” to refer to these compounds.
The report states that an analysis of official reports from the Ministry of Oil from 2019 to 2024 shows a consistent increase in the use of these substances. The only compound specifically mentioned is MTBE, which has remained a constant component in the final gasoline formula.
Iran Open Data Center also warned that the increasing reliance on high-risk additives, in the absence of refinery infrastructure development, has become a fundamental part of the country’s fuel supply—an approach with severe economic, health, and environmental consequences.
Previously, in January 2023, an official from the Environmental Protection Organization announced that only 38% of the gasoline produced in the country meets standard specifications.
