Iran's state shipping company will take delivery of three new oil supertankers in the first-quarter of 2009, boosting its fleet by about 12 percent, a senior company official told Reuters. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, and operates 25 supertankers which can each hold two million barrels. The new tankers are part of the National Iranian Tanker Company's (NITC) nearly $2 billion plan to boost its very large crude carrier fleet to 38 supertankers to meet growing demand for oil shipping, its commercial director Shseyedan Seyedhabibollah said.
"We ordered about 10 VLCCs last year, and we will take delivery of these between 2010 and 2011, this is part of our effort to become a global shipping company," Seyedhabibollah said.
NITC would also be taking delivery early next year of one new Suezmax oil tanker capable of holding up to 1 million barrels, he said.
South Korean shipyards built all the vessels due to arrive in early 2009, Seyedhabibollah said.
Despite sanctions from the West and U.S. pressure on financial institutions to stay away from Iran, Tehran secured financing for its fleet expansion from several European and Asian banks. BNP Paribas of France acted as lead financier.
Iran sits on 11 percent of the world's oil reserves, and has the world's second-largest gas reserves. It pumps about 4 million barrels per day to world markets, with roughly 60 percent bound for Asia and the remaining headed to Europe.
Seyedhabibollah said the recent support for supertanker freight rates were partly due to demand for floating storage facilities in the U.S. Gulf Coast, and the North Sea.
"Yes if the freight rates stay at this level we will be happy, not lower," he said.
Oil majors and independent trading houses are storing at least 24 million barrels of crude on oil tankers around the world a Reuters survey showed.
The rush to book oil tankers for floating storage has helped to push up crude freight rates on major export routes.
LNG TANKERS
The shipping firm is still considering a plan to order up to 30 new liquefied natural gas carriers (LNG), Seyedhabibollah said.
"We are not making any orders yet," he said, but did not offer more details.
NITC has said it wanted to build an LNG fleet to match Iran's ambitious LNG export plans. But U.S. and U.N sanctions have deterred investment by international energy firms capable of building LNG export plants and Iran is struggling to source the technology to move ahead with its plans.
Iran signed gas deals worth $14 billion with Malaysia's SKS Group in early December, including a contract to build an LNG plant.
Iran has also said it is going ahead with its own plant, Iran LNG, and will bring the first phase on line by the end of 2010.
Industry experts have said that it will be many years before Iran becomes a major gas exporter despite its vast resources.
"We ordered about 10 VLCCs last year, and we will take delivery of these between 2010 and 2011, this is part of our effort to become a global shipping company," Seyedhabibollah said.
NITC would also be taking delivery early next year of one new Suezmax oil tanker capable of holding up to 1 million barrels, he said.
South Korean shipyards built all the vessels due to arrive in early 2009, Seyedhabibollah said.
Despite sanctions from the West and U.S. pressure on financial institutions to stay away from Iran, Tehran secured financing for its fleet expansion from several European and Asian banks. BNP Paribas of France acted as lead financier.
Iran sits on 11 percent of the world's oil reserves, and has the world's second-largest gas reserves. It pumps about 4 million barrels per day to world markets, with roughly 60 percent bound for Asia and the remaining headed to Europe.
Seyedhabibollah said the recent support for supertanker freight rates were partly due to demand for floating storage facilities in the U.S. Gulf Coast, and the North Sea.
"Yes if the freight rates stay at this level we will be happy, not lower," he said.
Oil majors and independent trading houses are storing at least 24 million barrels of crude on oil tankers around the world a Reuters survey showed.
The rush to book oil tankers for floating storage has helped to push up crude freight rates on major export routes.
LNG TANKERS
The shipping firm is still considering a plan to order up to 30 new liquefied natural gas carriers (LNG), Seyedhabibollah said.
"We are not making any orders yet," he said, but did not offer more details.
NITC has said it wanted to build an LNG fleet to match Iran's ambitious LNG export plans. But U.S. and U.N sanctions have deterred investment by international energy firms capable of building LNG export plants and Iran is struggling to source the technology to move ahead with its plans.
Iran signed gas deals worth $14 billion with Malaysia's SKS Group in early December, including a contract to build an LNG plant.
Iran has also said it is going ahead with its own plant, Iran LNG, and will bring the first phase on line by the end of 2010.
Industry experts have said that it will be many years before Iran becomes a major gas exporter despite its vast resources.