Iran launches floating gas export terminal

Iran announced Friday it launched operations at its first-ever floating gas condensate export terminal in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

Iran in January exported 878,631 tons of gas condensate. Pirouz Mousavi, managing director of the Iranian Oil Terminals Co., said the facility could help Iran get more oil and gas from a southern economic trade zone.

"The terminal, which facilitates the export of 600,000 barrels of gas condensate per day, can help Iran boost its capability to export both crude oil and condensate," he said.

Customs officials in Iran say gas condensate accounts for more than 60 percent of the commodities exported from the southern economic zone.

Iran has touted its oil and gas export potential since reaching an interim nuclear agreement with Western negotiators in November.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday energy products from Iran were re-entering the global market as expected.

"As far as oil exports are concerned, we exported oil as we had predicted and this is very important," he said.

Iran secured relief from sanctions in exchange for agreement to curb its nuclear research activity. Many of the sanctions on its energy sector remain in place.

[Fars News Agency]