Official: European Firms Hire 5 Iranian Oil Tankers

Official: European Firms Hire 5 Iranian Oil Tankers

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran has leased nearly half a dozen of its oil tankers to the European companies and they are prepared to set sail in international waters, a National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) official disclosed.

A sum of five tankers of the NITC have been hired by foreign companies," NITC's Rent Director Ali Akbar Akhound Kazzemi said on Monday. Kazzemi said that the NITC's problem with the Protection and Indemnity Insurance Company (P&I) has been resolved, adding, "We are making preparations for receiving the necessary approvals from accredited oil companies." In late May, NITC Commercial Director Nasrollah Sardashti said that the Iranian oil vessels would soon enter international markets in European waters as talks between NITC and European firms were sewing up. "The company's talks with western companies are about to end and Iranian oil tankers are to sail European waters in a very near future," Sardashti said. He said NITC's tankers are on average 10 year old which makes the fleet one of the world's youngest ones. State-run NITC is Iran's biggest tanker company whose fleet meets high standards in marine transportation. Also in May, another NITC official, Ramin Rajaei, had said that company is about to restart carrying oil to Europe. "Even during the sanctions, Iranian tanker preserved their international standards and remained up-to-date," he told reporters. After the removal of Iran’s sanctions, NITC sent its first oil cargo to the African destination along with the Asian customers and it is expected that the first Iranian oil cargo for the European destinations start its trip soon in the near future. NITC can re-take its share of oil and its products’ global transportation, he added. Source:Farsnews

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