Bloomberg: National Iranian Oil Co. hired a tanker to transport 80,000 metric tons of gasoil or diesel to the Middle East gulf from Singapore, a shipbroker said. By Sophie Tan
Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) — National Iranian Oil Co. hired a tanker to transport 80,000 metric tons of gasoil or diesel to the Middle East gulf from Singapore, a shipbroker said.
The state oil company’s shipping unit National Iranian Tanker Co. chartered Champion Pride, owned by Nippon Yusen K.K. for a voyage starting on Feb. 22, for $550,000, Odin Marine (Singapore) Pte said in a report today. The company last month hired Silvaplana, owned by Lukiardopulo & Co., to deliver a similar cargo from Singapore.
Iran, the second-largest oil producer in the Middle East, imports products such as gasoline and diesel as it doesn’t have adequate refining capacity to meet rising demand. Iran imports around 100,000 barrels a day of gasoline, Energy Security Analysis Inc. said in its six-monthly Asian oil product report.
A U.S.-led push to isolate Iranian banks from the global financial system because of terrorist-related activities intensified since 2006, said the Wakefield, Massachusetts-based research firm in the report e-mailed to Bloomberg News.
Non-U.S. banks including BNP Paribas SA and Credit Agricole SA stopped providing letters of credit, used to guarantee payment on overseas fuel purchases, to banks in the Islamic Republic, the report said. Indian refiner Reliance Industries Ltd. and Swiss oil trader Vitol Group ceased 50,000 barrels a day to 70,000 barrels a day of gasoline sales to Iran, it said.
Iran has agreements to buy gasoline and diesel from the Kuwait-based Independent Petroleum Group and a Trafigura AG- linked company over the next six months, International Oil Daily said on Feb. 11, citing unidentified traders.
Champion Pride is a double-hulled tanker built in 1998, according to Bloomberg data.
