May 16, 2012, 9:43 PM

No Iranian crude oil without customer: NIOC chief

No Iranian crude oil without customer: NIOC chief

TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) - Iran has rejected claims in a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that say the country has stored up to 30 million barrels of unsold crude on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.

National Iranian Oil Company Director for International Affairs Mohsen Qamsari said Iran is not storing the unsold oil.

“The storage of crude oil does not mean that Iran’s crude oil does not have customer,” Qamsari told the Mehr News Agency.

Qamsari added, “Iran’s has no oil without customer in the Persian Gulf.”

He said that 12 new tankers which were recently purchased by an Iranian tanker company were not for storing crude oil.

“The contract for building these new tankers is related to four years ago,” he explained.

The IEA had said Iran’s oil production remained steady at 3.3 million barrels a day in April, but 15 to 25 percent was not sold and had to be pumped into floating tanker storage.

On Tuesday, Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi also categorically denied reports that Iran has stored 30 million barrels of oil on tankers.

“I personally deny” this report, Qasemi asserted

“We are not facing with reduction of export,” Qasemi told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Khorasan Razavi province.

MG/PA
END

MNA

News ID 51261

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