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Iran’s oil exports still at same level as before Geneva talks

Oil&Gas Materials 9 April 2014 14:49 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.9

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

Iran's oil exports are still at the same level as they were before the Geneva talks on the country's nuclear program.

Chairman of the Iranian parliament's energy committee Masoud Mirkazemi said on April 9 that despite the Geneva agreement, oil exports have not increased, Iran's Mehr news agency reported.

Mirkazemi said Iran is currently exporting around one million barrels of oil per day.
"Under these circumstances, the country will not become influential on international market. The volume of oil exports should be increased to 4 million barrels per day," he noted.

Iran's oil exports have stayed above levels allowed under Western sanctions for the 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 upon 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 to Asia have topped that level at least since November, according to ship tracking data.

Iran will benefit from all its capacities to boost oil exports and will not seek permission of the U.S. in this regard, 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 programme.

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.

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