UPDATED ON:
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
22:45 Mecca time, 19:45 GMT
 
News Middle East
Iran urges Opec action on oil price
Nozari, centre, says global oil instability calls for an emergency meeting [AFP] 

Iran has said the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries should take action to stabilise oil prices.

Expectations of weaker energy demand has pushed prices to fall below $60 a barrel for the first time since March 2007.

Gholamhossein Nozari, Iran's oil minister, said that the stability of prices "needed a far reaching decision and further measures," after prices fell from a peak of $147 in July.

"We are going to review oil market conditions and if there is a need, there might be an emergency meeting," he said on Tuesday.

Iran depends heavily on oil sales, earning 80 per cent of its revenue from oil exports, and the Islamic Republic set its annual budget on the assumption that oil would trade at $90 a barrel.

After cutting oil production by 1.5m bpd in October, an Opec source said on Tuesday the group may cut oil supplies by a further one million barrels per day (bpd) when it meets in Algeria in December.

Production cuts

Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer, has already cut about 200,000 bpd from an output of around 4.04m bpd in line with Opec's October agreement, an Iranian oil official said on Friday.

Elahe Mohtasham, an Iranian analyst at the Foreign Policy Centre in London, told Al Jazeera: "In 2000, Iran established an oil stabilisation fund for rainy days like today where oil prices have dropped.

"The oil reserve fund's purpose was to keep a surplus, and was obtained in times when oil prices were high, back in July for example.

"But apart from mismanagement ... there is an ideological economic policy behind some of the advisers of President Ahmadinejad.

"If there were better policies in place, we wouldn't be in such a mess today."

Nuclear push

A senior energy adviser to the Iranian government has said energy price instability is precisely the reason Iran needs to pursue nuclear energy, despite the face of international sanctions against the country's nuclear programme.

IEA Energy Outlook

A report released on Wednesday by the International Energy Agency said the world's energy needs for the next 30 years will be a serious challenge.

- An extra 64 million barrels per day needs to be produced to meet demand.

- $26 trillion is needed to be invested into energy infrastructure between now and 2030.

- By 2030 the amount of oil from most reserves will drop by 10 per cent a year.

- The world's natural gas reserves should last for about 60 more years. But most of it is held by just three countries - Russia, Iran and Qatar.

- By 2030, oil will be about $200 a barrel - a prediction not including inflation, which could add hundreds of dollars a barrel.

Speaking to Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Mohammad Ahmadian said: "When you compare a gas power plant with a nuclear one, you can easily see a nuclear power plant has a complete economic justification for our country.

"It is true we have abundant gas resources, but it does not mean we are going to burn it for generating electricity at any price. We could use the opportunity to export petrol and gas."

His comments as came as a Russian newspaper reported that Iran, Russia and Qatar are set to form a joint venture to produce and sell gas.

Kommersant said Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom, the Qatar Liquefied Gas Company and the National Iranian Oil Company will agree to build a pipeline from Iran's extensive South Pars field to Qatar, where gas will be liquefied.

Russia, Iran and Qatar are ranked first, second and third respectively in terms of global gas reserves.

Iran said there was consensus to set up a gas grouping similar to Opec, which would likely draw criticism from the European Union, which opposes any group that could act like a cartel.

According to Kommersant's report, Russia referred to the group as a "big gas troika", which should become a permanent body.

Iran has been slow to develop gas exports, despite its huge reserves, partly because US sanctions have hindered the building of plants to make liquefied natural gas (LNG) for shipment.

 Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 6
 
amir
United States
14/11/2008
Yeah, sure
If Iran really wanted nuclear power for electricity purposes they could have got it quicker and cheaper from the deals it was offered in exchange of stopping their enrichment programmes. And by the way, if you are the fourth largest oil producer in the world, doesn't it make sense to build oil-powered plants instead of nuclear plants? These is more proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

Jake
United States
15/11/2008
Funding priorities
I guess all that money going towards Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi insurgents, buying Russian military equipment for Syria, building rockets and pursuing nukes will have to be cut back now that oil prices have fallen so much. What a shame.

RAFFEY
United States
14/11/2008
The domino effect shall reach us all
Iran realises the economic downturn is coming their way and wants to avert it by using oil. The future says oil demand will drop as the price rises and nothing can be done short of accepting it.

M
Afghanistan
19/11/2008
Funding?
Are you serious why would a country that is a oil producer have Nuclear power. Why would you use up all your oil instead of using a technology that is more advanced and more efficent and just sell all the oil. Its a simple thing you get rich you need weapons and power. We did it why can we say NO to another country. I dont think its right to do but we cant judge those if we are hypocrites and know exactly why they are doing it.

J.
United States
19/11/2008
Iran had many opportunities to use its revenues from oil and other natural resources to build an antonymous, production based economy. Instead, they were lazy and wasted their money on building missiles and nuclear weapon production facilities. Now that their oil income is grossly down, they have nothing to buffer their economy. They are getting what they deserve for being selfish and lazy.

boy_george
Guatemala
20/11/2008
Iran and Opec
To Amir of US about his comments: Did you know US possess nuclear weapons that can destroy entire earth 10x? Not to mention biological and chemical weapons? And you are saying Iran does not have the right to build nuclear weapons? Do you get the picture?

 
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