Iran's caretaker oil minister has called for preventing excess gas consumption as the country braces up for the bitter winter season.

"A 10-percent drop in gas consumption equals the budget allotted to build twin south Pars gas projects," said Gholam Hossein Nozari at the opening ceremony of the Ghadir petrochemical complex in Asalouyeh, Bushehr province.

The daily gas consumption in winter is 460 million cubic meters, Nozari said.

"The ministry has taken necessary measures to supply sufficient gas to consumers in winter, but pressed for an 'optimal consumption' in winter," the minister added.

He also said, "Iran can produce 4.300,000 barrels of oil per day, but a limit set by OPEC has decreased its daily output to 4.145,000 barrels per day." It is the newest record ever registered since the victory of the Islamic Revolution .

"In the petrochemical sector, most of the investment should flow into areas which augment added values", the minister added.

Iran possesses 16 percent of the world's gas reserves.

MRD/FH/PA