Iran's daily crude exports reach 2.4mln barrels

A senior Iranian official announced that the country has exported over 2.4mln barrels of crude oil on a daily basis in the first six months of the current Iranian year (started on March 21), adding that Asian countries have remained the prime destination of Tehran's oil supplies."The average daily exports of Iran's oil in the first six months of the current year were below 2.5mln barrels and stood somewhere between 2,420,000 to 2,430,000 barrels a day," Head of the International Affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Mohsen Qamsari told FNA on Tuesday. Qamsari reiterated that Asia has remained a top priority for Iran's crude exports, and rejected the recent media reports that the country has changed the destination for its crude supplies. "Iran's oil export destinations have not changed and Asia is still our priority for oil exports similar to the past years," he added. Iran had earlier this month announced plans to accelerate oil exploration projects in the country. More than $10 billion in funds from domestic sources were allocated to the NIOC projects in the first half of the current Iranian year. Earlier this month, Iran resumed export of low-density fuel oil. The country sold 100,000 tons of low-density, 380 centistoke (cst) fuel oil into East Asia, the first in about four months amid easing demand from the Middle East, traders said last week. Exports from the country are recovering after having fallen since August-arrival parcels due to shortfalls in Iran's domestic market. November inflows into East Asia are seen at around 500,000 tons, the highest since July, traders said.