China, India top importers of Iranian crude oil

TEHRAN,April 29(MNA) - China and India are still the two major importers of Iranian crude oil, the National Iranian Oil Company’s director for international affairs said, rejecting some news which claimed China has decreased crude imports from Iran. “China has even increased crude imports compared to the past year,” Mohsen Qamsari added. Iran has not granted any discount on oil sales to its customers, Qamsari stressed. All Asian and African refiners that buy oil from Iran extended their contacts in 2012, he said on April 21. Qamsari rejected rumors about Iran stopping oil export to Malaysia, saying that the Asian country imports some 14,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Iran. Iran will sell oil under the market price to counter EU oil sanctions, he said on Friday. He added that certain U.S. companies were seeking an increase in global price of oil to make domestic unconventional extraction more competitive; he placed the price of oil in the U.S. by such methods at $90 a barrel. “While the U.S. is trying to keep oil prices high, Iran can push aside many of its rivals in the international market by supplying cheaper oil,” Qamsari told the Mehr News Agency.