New Record in Iran's Oil Export Loading Capacity

The CEO of Iran's Oil Terminals Company announced the registration of a 'record' loading capacity for the export of seven million barrels of oil in one day, stating that this 'record' was previously six million barrels. According to Mehr News Agency, Pirouz Mousavi said on Sunday, April 13, 'In the past few weeks, eight berths at the Kharg oil terminal were simultaneously engaged, and after ten years, the possibility of exporting seven million barrels in one day was provided.' According to Mr. Mousavi, this level of export was within the quota set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Previously, Reuters reported that Iran's oil exports increased by 450 to 500 thousand barrels per day in April, mainly due to increased exports of this product to India and Japan. Meanwhile, Press TV, the English-language channel of Iran's state television, reported on Sunday that India's crude oil imports from Iran in April increased by 17 percent compared to the same period last year. According to this network, in this month, eight oil tankers transferred an average of 316 thousand barrels of Iranian oil to India daily. This is while India imported about 225 thousand barrels of oil from Iran in April of last year. Before Western sanctions in 2012, Iran had daily oil exports of two and a half million barrels, but this figure fell to about one million barrels in 2013. The United States had asked Iran's customers not to increase their imports of Iranian oil to more than one million barrels per day, but after the interim nuclear agreement in the fall of 2013, this pressure was lifted. Meanwhile, Mohsen Qamsari, the international director of the National Iranian Oil Company, announced on Wednesday, April 9, during the visit of the South African Minister of Energy to Tehran, that negotiations were underway with this country for the sale of petroleum products, gas, and crude oil. Mr. Qamsari also stated, 'South Africa has requested oil for its Ingen refinery, but the port of this country is under Shell's control, and they cannot bring oil there.' Mehr News Agency reported based on 'semi-official reports' that South Africa was the ninth largest customer of Iranian oil in 2011, with daily imports of about 98 thousand barrels.