He said, “I am afraid to say certain parties have lowered oil prices to the level that has harmed interests of other producers.”
He went on to say, “Now, continued fall of oil prices is the most important issue facing the market and lower prices have thus far entailed negative consequences and will continue to do so in the future.”
The minister announced, “The negative impacts (of falling oil prices) on investment and enhancing the production capacity will be clear in the mid- and long-term and will harm interests of both producers and consumers.”
The Minister said fair prices, which will speed up investment and development of the production capacity, is necessary. “Increase in the production capacity can minimize dependence of consumers on one or two producers.”
He said this holds true with increase in the natural gas production capacity as well.
Zanganeh continued
that another important issue is stopping to politicize the oil market and use of oil
as an arm for whatever purpose and under any pretext.
One more challenge
facing the oil market is the discriminatory policies and measures of certain
consumer blocks to give subsidy to the coal consumption despite its CO2 share
and also levying taxes on oil or even gas, regretted Zanganeh, adding that
although the two are more friendly with the environment, they pose obstacles on the
way of proper allocation of resources in line with cleaner environment.
The Minister went
on to say, “We ask the International Energy Forum and its new distinguished
Secretary General to move towards a level beyond contribution to statistics and
exchange of information and upgrade dialogue to the level of political issues
and anything producers and consumers can do to bring about safe supply and
demand and cleaner environment.”
“In this position,
I should say that the key to approval of the COP21 accord and the developing
states’ observation of their commitments will be possible in light of
cooperation of the developed states in transfer of technology and their help so
that global goals of environment protection will be achieved.”
He noted, “We have
always supported the measures taken in history of OPEC for stabilization of oil
market and we will do the same when needed. We welcome cooperation of all the
non-OPEC exporters into OPEC efforts to stabilize the market.”
He said after
elimination of sanctions, Iran tried to raise its production capacity in the oil
and gas sectors and to this end, it has proposed a new model of contracts.
“In this line, I encourage international oil companies to cooperate to increase production in proportion with our oil and gas reserves and I welcome them so that they will this way contribute to safe crude oil supply,” he concluded.
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