Iran firm says it owes no oil to Italy

TEHRAN,Jan.9(MNA)--The state-owned National Iranian Oil Company said it does not owe some $2 billion in oil shipments as claimed by Italy. Italian oil firm ENI 'does not have any specific financial claim on the National Iranian Oil Company,' NIOC's director of international affairs, Mohsen Qamsari told. His comments ran contrary to statements by Italian officials that ENI was receiving oil shipments from NIOC in lieu of an estimated $US2 billion ($A1.96 billion) in debts owed by the Iranian firm. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti set out that position last week, saying that 'the embargo should not include imports that do not give Iran additional financial resources' - implictly excluding the deliveries to ENI. The European Union is collectively the second-biggest destination for Iranian oil exports after China, taking in some 450,000 barrels per day. Iranian oil accounted for 15 per cent of Spain's total oil imports, 14 per cent of Greece's and 13 per cent of Italy's, according to EU statistics for 2010. Following Ankara and Seoul which try to continue importing Iran oil despite U.S. and EU pressures; Rome has resisted any immediate embargo on Iran oil, calling it as the oil supply shock. Mario Monti, Italy’s prime minister, warned on Thursday that his government can’t back a ban on European Union oil imports from Iran. Mr Monti signaled EU member states must still agree on critical details relating to any ban on oil imports, most notably whether it should be full or partial and whether it should be imposed immediately or in stages. In an interview with French daily Le Figaro, Mr Monti highlighted the significance of any ban on the Italian economy, noting that 13 percent of Italy’s total annual imports of crude come from Iran, leaving it highly exposed to any oil supply shock. Mr Monti added: “An oil embargo will only be possible if it remains gradual and if there is an exclusion of deliveries that are aimed at reimbursing billions of euros of debt which Iran owes to our national oil company Eni.” Italy’s insistence that Eni should continue to be paid its oil-related debt has long been known. Last month, Paolo Scaroni, chief executive of Eni, said that Iran owed the company around $2b. The EU’s negotiations came as Iran said it was unconcerned about the latest U.S. and European sanctions aimed at forcing it to halt its nuclear work.