Baku, Azerbaijan, May 27
By Emil Ilgar - Trend:
Iran is finalizing negotiations with European companies over arrival of its oil tankers in the EU, Nasrollah Sardashti, commercial director of the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), told SHANA May 27.
He said the average age of Iran's tanker fleet is about 10 years, making it one of the world's newest fleet with high-standard qualities.
Sardashti also said Iranian tankers are expected to arrive in the EU in July.
Following the removal of international sanctions last January, Iran's former oil customers resumed purchases from Tehran, but they have carried the oil cargos themselves so far.
NITC, the privatized Iranian shipping company, says it has 42 very large crude carriers, known as VLCCs, after having bought 20 such China-built vessels in the recent years.
Iran's oil exports are set to surge in May, climbing nearly 60 percent from a year ago, with European shipments recovering to about half of pre-sanction levels, Reuters reported May 18 citing a source with knowledge of the country's crude lifting plans.
Before the sanctions, the EU was importing 800,000 barrels per day of Iranian oil.
Iran exports oil to Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Russia's Lukoil also purchases the Iranian oil for its refineries in the EU.