Tehran, Iran, Nov. 21
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
Iran has been unable to use the Egyptian-based Sumed pipeline to export oil to Europe and Turkey, although it had been hoped that with the removal of sanctions the pipeline would be open to Iran.
Iran signed a contract with Egypt before sanctions to use the pipeline, but nearly one year after sanctions relief, Tehran has not been able to make Egypt resume the deal, National Iranian Oil Company’s International Affairs Director Mohsen Qamsari said, Mehr news agency reported November 21.
Early this year, international news outlets said the Egyptian government had authorized Iran to use the pipeline starting April 2.
Buyers will have the responsibility of taking Iranian oil home, which they can do either via the Suez Canal or bypassing Africa, Qamsari said.
This is while the Iranian OPEC Affairs and Energy Forums Office had recently said Egypt had authorized Iran to carry energy via Sumed.
The pipeline is owned jointly by companies from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar.
Before the sanctions were lifted last year, Egypt’s Oil Minister Tareq el Molla had raised the expectation that Iran’s oil flow via the Sumed will be resumed and that Cairo welcomed the new situation.