TEHRAN – Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration said the country exported $15.7 billion worth of crude oil to various countries in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-July 21).

According to Mohammad Rezvanifar, the Islamic Republic’s total trade turnover reached $51 billion in the mentioned four months and the country’s trade balance was $14.8 billion positive with oil included, Tasnim News Agency reported.

“During this period, 7.7 billion dollars of petrochemical products were also exported. It should be noted that the average value per ton of exported goods increased by four percent in the said four months,” Rezvanifar said.

Iran exported 1.4 million barrels of oil per day in 2023, indicating an increase of 500,000 barrels compared to its oil export data in the previous year, and it is expected that in the current year, an additional 100,000 barrels would be added to Iran's oil exports, reaching 1.5 million bpd.

Earlier this month, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in its latest report said Iran produced 3.251 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil in June, registering a 13,000-bpd increase compared to the previous month.

Based on secondary sources, Iran produced 3.238 million bpd of crude oil in May, the report said.

The Islamic Republic’s average crude output for the second quarter of 2024 stood at 3.237 million bpd indicating a 58,000 bpd increase compared to the figure for the first quarter of the year, the report said.

The report put the average Iranian crude output for 2022 at 2.554 million bpd, while the average output in 2023 was 2.859 million bpd.

These statistics show that the Islamic Republic has maintained its place as the third-largest oil producer among the OPEC members.

Iran’s average crude oil price increased by $4.76 per barrel in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to the report.

According to OPEC, Iran’s crude oil was sold at $83.65 per barrel on average in the mentioned period.

Earlier in April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that Iran's oil production in 2023 saw an increase of 500,000 bpd in comparison to the previous year, reaching 3.1 million bpd.

According to the IMF data, the oil sector of Iran's economy recorded a noteworthy growth of 15 percent in 2023. Over the three years of late President Ebrahim Raisi’s tenure, this sector experienced a double-digit growth; therefore, the oil sector saw 10.1 percent, 10 percent, and 15 percent growth respectively in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

It is predicted that Iran's oil production will increase by another 100,000 bpd, reaching 3.2 million bpd in 2024.

Iran's gas production also increased from the equivalent of 4.8 million barrels of oil per day in 2022 to the equivalent of 5.1 million bpd in 2023. According to IMF, the figure is expected to rise by 300,000 bpd to reach the equivalent of 5.4 million bpd in 2024.

EF/MA