Iran plans to increase its oil products storage capacity by 1.1 billion litres (6.9 million barrels) by next March, oil ministry news service Shana said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening of a new oil storage facility in Ahwaz in southern Iran, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) told Shana that new facilities would boost storage for oil products from around 50 days' consumption to 80 days.

New storage facilities are expected to open this year at the Mahshahr oil export port, along with others at Birjand, Malayer, Shiraz and Kerman, NIOPDC Managing Director Jalil Salari, said.

The new tanks opened at Nezamiyeh in Ahwaz City boosted capacity to 586 million litres from 460 million, he said.-Reuters