TEHRAN – Iran’s oil exports rose by an average of 630,000 barrels a month in the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 21-July 22) compared with the same period last year, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Wednesday.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Paknejad stressed that “there are currently no problems selling oil,” noting that the increase equates to about 21,000 barrels per day.

He also dismissed a recent [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) statement claiming the Arash gas field belonged to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

“This is just a claim,” he said, pointing out that the field was first discovered in the 1960s and its first exploration well, “Arash-1,” was drilled in the late 1990s. He added that hydrocarbon reserves were proven in the area, with drilling extending to 750 meters near an old demarcation line. The Foreign Ministry is handling the matter diplomatically, he said, adding that once resolved, the Oil Ministry was prepared to move forward with development if part of the field is confirmed to be Iranian.

Paknejad said imported premium gasoline would soon be available at fuel stations. He emphasized that its supply would not affect existing quotas or prices of regular gasoline but would be offered as an additional service. Pricing would be handled by private suppliers, he added, giving consumers the option to buy premium fuel if they wished.

On the possibility of gas cuts for industries this winter, Paknejad said allocations would depend on consumption in the household and commercial sectors, which typically rise as temperatures fall. “When demand increases in that segment, industries and power plants will naturally have to rely more on alternative fuels such as gasoil,” he said.

EF/MA