TEHRAN - Iran produced 2.086 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil in January, a 9,000-bpd decrease from 2.095 million bpd in December 2019, according to OPEC’s latest monthly report published on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the country’s average heavy oil price was $62.61 in January, down $1.19 or 1.9 percent from $63.8 in December 2019.

The report also put the average Iranian heavy crude price at $56.29 for the past year.

The Iranian oil industry has been under pressure from the U.S. efforts to isolate the country by re-imposing sanctions.

Last week, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Karim Zobeidi said the U.S. sanctions have not decreased the country’s oil production capacity.

Earlier on February 6, Deputy Oil Minister for Planning Houshang Falahatian had put the country’s oil production as 3.7 million barrels per day.

According to Falahatian, 1.7 million bpd of total production is consumed inside the country.

As reported by Shana, the official said that Iran is capable of exporting around 2 million barrels of crude oil per day.

The purpose of the unjust sanctions imposed on Iran is to prevent it from exporting its surplus oil output, Falahatian stressed.

EF/MA