Tehran, Iran, September 13
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran currently exports 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.
When the current administration took the office, Tehran's oil exports dropped to 700,000-800,000 barrels from the previous figure of 1.3 million barrels, Iran's Fars news agency quoted an unnamed source at the country's Oil Ministry as saying.
"But the figure has increased to 1.2 million barrels now," the source said.
The source went on to add that Tehran's production capacity is around four billion barrels per day.
"But currently we are not able to produce that amount of oil," the source added.
Iran's oil exports slipped for a second month in July, yet sales remained above the limit set by the West under an interim deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program, according to sources who track tanker shipments, Reuters reported on August 6.
Iran and six world powers, known as the P5+1, agreed to extend nuclear talks by four months after they failed to reach a July 20 deadline for a permanent resolution. Under the interim agreement, Iran's crude exports were supposed to be held just above one million barrels per day (bpd).
Shipments higher than that have not drawn serious criticism from Washington, partly because U.S. officials say the increased volumes are made up of condensate, light oil which they say is allowed under the sanctions, as well as Iranian gifts of oil to Syria which they do not view as "sales".
One source who tracks tanker movements said Iran's crude oil exports reached 1.14 million bpd in July, slightly lower than 1.18 million bpd in June.
Iran's crude oil output (excluding condensates) has increased by 14,700 barrels per day in August compared to the preceding month and stood at 2.769 million barrels per day (mbpd).
The country stood out among the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) after Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE and Kuwait based on secondary sources, according to the latest monthly report of the OPEC issued on September 10.
The Islamic Republic's oil production is 3.01 mbpd as of August, according to an OPEC report based on direct communication, indicating a 241,000 barrel difference between OPEC's estimates and Iran's data.
Seyyed Mohsen Qamsari, Director for International affairs at National Iranian Oil Company, said on September 12 that Iran is currently negotiating with South Africa to export oil to the African nation.
"Iran has no special condition for exporting oil to South Africa," he said, Iran's Fars news agency reported on September 12.
He went on to add that Tehran always prefers doing business with the final consumer, but if that is not possible Iran will negotiate with third parties.