Iran’s goal is to increase crude oil exports to Europe to 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) over the next two months, the Iranian oil ministry informed.
Deputy Oil Minister Ali Kardar explained to the official IRNA agency that at present the export to Europe is something more than 500,000 bpd.
The average of Iranian oil exports worldwide last February was 2,298,000 bpd, while production will reach 4 million bpd next month.
Kardar said Anglo-Dutch oil companies Shell and France’s Total bought two shipments of 2 million barrels each since the lifting of international sanctions in January 2016.
Meanwhile, Italian Eni also bought a cargo of 2 million barrels, according to the deputy minister, who also indicated that oil was exported to Spain, although he did not specify the quantity.
Following the entry into force of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers in January 2016 and the consequent lifting of sanctions, Iranian oil buyers have diversified.
At the time of the sanctions, production was 2.7 million bpd, of which one million were exported, but this sale was limited to China, South Korea, Japan, India and Turkey.
Kardar also reported that Iran has already received technical studies on several deposits from companies such as Total, Russia’s Lukoil, Japan’s Inpex and Germany’s Wintershall.
In early January, Iran announced that a total of 29 international companies, including Spain’s CEPSA, will be able to bid for new oil and gas projects in Iran.
The Iranian authorities are also finalizing the new Iran Oil Contract (CPI), a legal instrument designed to attract multimillion-dollar investments in the sector.
