TEHRAN — Iran’s crude oil export is expected to hit $52 billion by the end of the current Iranian year, falling on March 20, 2007, an Iranian official said on Wednesday.

“Crude export is anticipated to touch $52 billion mark by March 2007, considering the average price at 56 dollar per barrel,” director for international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) added.

The total figure, Hojjatollah Ghanimifard continued, has been $41 billion for the first nine months of the Iranian year on March 21, 2006, Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported him as saying. As to the export of gas condensates, the official noted, “Around 211,000-215,000 barrels of the product are exported daily, which are mainly from the South Pars gas field.”

He also said that the light and heavy crudes are currently exported from Lavan, Foruzan, Sorush, and Noruz oilfields as well as the ones in Sirri Island.