Iran in quest for OPEC's top post

While Iran's OPEC Governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi announced on Friday that the country is preparing to field a candidate for the position, the country's Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi confirmed the bid, reminding that election of a new secretary general is high on the agenda of the next OPEC ministerial meeting in Vienna on June 14. Iran is one of founding members of OPEC and its representative, Fouad Rohani, served as the first secretary general of the organization from 1961 to 1964. Iran, OPEC's second-largest producer, has always played an active role in the choice for the secretary general of this organization, Khatibi said. A candidate from Iran will bring the number of countries competing for the role to four. Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Ecuador have already nominated potential successors to current OPEC Secretary General Abdullah Salem al-Badri whose term ends at the end of 2012. Libya's Al Badri has been in charge of the post since 2007. OPEC will discuss the issue at its next meeting on June 14 in Vienna. Qassemi also said that Islamic Republic of Iran believes in maintaining official production ceiling of OPEC and will insist on the issue in the June meeting. According to Qassemi examination of oil market developments is another topic on the agenda of the next OPEC meeting. Iran, OPEC's second largest crude exporter, currently holds the presidency of the cartel, a position it is holding for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Earlier Qassemi had said OPEC was producing almost one million barrels of oil per day above the production ceiling agreed on in its previous meeting in December 2011. OPEC in December set its official supply target at 30 million bpd. In its latest monthly report the organization said its production had risen in April to 31.62 million barrels per day (bpd) as Iraq ramped up and Libya's oil industry recovered.