Baku, Azerbaijan, April 7
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran will benefit from all its capacities to boost oil exports and will not seek permission of the U.S., Iran's IRNA news agency quoted Iran Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh as saying on April 7.
On March 31, Reuters reported that Iran's top four crude oil buyers lifted their purchases 17.2 percent in February from a year ago, as the OPEC member continues to ship more oil than allowed under a deal that eases some of the sanctions aimed at its disputed nuclear program.
According to the International Energy Agency's latest report, Iran exported 1.41 million barrels of crude oil and condensate per day during February, 340,000 barrels more than the country's daily average oil export in 2013.
Sanctions cannot hinder Iran's plan to increase oil exports, Zanganeh said, adding that the country has boosted its oil production capacity and has maintained its status in OPEC.
However, the United States dismissed on April 4 suggestions that Iran was exporting much more oil than it is allowed to sell under a preliminary nuclear deal with world powers and predicted that aggregate Iranian oil sales would meet targets set for Tehran.
The remarks from a senior U.S. official came ahead of a new round of senior-level negotiations between Iran and the United States,Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia in Vienna on April 8-9. It will be the third round of talks this year in the Austrian capital on a long-term deal with Iran.
Iran's oil exports have stayed above levels allowed under Western sanctions for a fifth month, the latest sign that the limited sanctions relief agreed upon in November is helping Tehran sell more crude, according to sources who track tanker movements.
Under the interim nuclear deal agreed in November in Geneva,Iran's exports are supposed to be held at an average 1 million barrels per day for the six months to July 20. But shipments toAsia have topped that level at least since November, according to ship tracking data.
Edited by C.N.