Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.9
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran has adopted new strategies to increase gas condensate exports.
Director of the International Affairs Department at National Iranian Oil Company Mohsen Ghamsari said that the new sanctions imposed by the U.S. had nothing to do with a drop in the country's gas condensate exports, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on Sept. 9.
The imposition of the sanctions was not a new issue. We have been faced with such issues over the past years, he added.
Iranian Oil Minister BIjan Namdar Zanganeh has said that the U.S.-led sanctions on the country's gas condensates exports will not affect Tehran's exports.
"Sanctions on gas condensates have already been in place. They've just announced it officially now. So, the sanctions won't affect Iran's exports," he said, Iran's IRNA News Agency reported.
He was reacting to the United States' announcement of a fresh round of bans last week on over 25 individuals and companies, including shipping firms, oil companies, airlines and six banks over alleged links with Iran's nuclear energy program.
The companies targeted by the U.S. sanctions include UAE-based Goldentex FZE, cooperating with Iran's shipping sector, and Italian firm Dettin SpA, collaborating with Iran's petrochemical industry.
We do not recognize these sanctions, Zanganeh added.
Iran produces a little more than 0.4 million barrels of gas condensate per day.
After imposed sanctions in mid-2012, the country's gas condensate exports decreased from 260,000 barrels to below 195,000 barrels per day, but after implementation of interim nuclear deal in January, Iran boosted condensate exports.
Iran Customs Administration's reports indicate that the country sold 9.741 million tons (equal to about 448,000 barrels) of gas condensates per day from January 20 to July 20, when the 6-month interim nuclear accord was extended again.
Iran's fiscal year began on March 20.
The Custom Administration's reports also indicate that during the last 12 months, the country's total gas condensate exports amounted at 17.025 million tons, equal to 392,000 barrels per day.
Edited by CN