IRANIAN OIL OUTPUT SAID TO DECLINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100200060-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 15, 2007
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: April 23, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Approved For Release 2007/06/15: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100200060-6
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE_ -'t
STAT
T3EW YORK TIMES
23 APRIL 1980
Iranian U11
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Buyers
Iranian Impass&With Moscow
Admiral Turner appeared before the
committee with two aides, Ronald L.
Smith, chief of the Central Intelligence
Agency's International Materials divi-
sion, and John E. Eckland, chief of the
agency's petroleum Supply Analysis
Center.
The three faced a wide range of ques-
tions, which elicited a number of con-
clusions:
The Iranian Government and the
Soviet Union are at an impasse on ne-
gotiations over prices paid by MOSCOW
for natural gas imports.
9The Japanese have stockpiled 93
days of oil supplies for their economy,
while West Germany and other West-
ern European nations have slightly less
- about 90 days' supply.
9The Soviet Union will switch from
being a net exporter of oil next year to
being a net importer and will start
making purchases from Persian Gulf
states.
9Soviet and United States demand
for energy "sets the stage for an Fast-
West competition for Mideast oil."
The possibility of such a confronta-
tion and the probability of a disruption
of oil supplies from the Persian Gulf
were the reasons that the committee
held the bearings, according to its
chairman, Senator Henry M. Jackson,
Democrat of Washington.
SpedaiWT eNcwYorkT ,es
WASHNGTON, April 22-The Direc-
tor of Central Intelligence told a Senate
bearing today that Iranian oil exports
were continuing to decline but that this
did not appear to pose an immediate
threat to the economies of either Japan
or other major petroleum-importing
nations.
Adm. Stanfield Turner testified that
sabotage in the Iranian oilfields, the
-lack of proper maintenance of equip-
ment, such as, pumps and pipelines,
plus a Ian in exploration and drilling
bad combined to reduce Iranian ex-
ports to 1.5 million barrels a day. .
"I think even this number is going to
erode downward," Admiral Turner
told the Senate Energy Committee.
Because of falling production, Admi-
ral Turner said, "the Iranians -don't
have a great deal of leverage at this
time, but coupled with what other oil
..,
exporters do, it could be serious."
Approved For Release 2007/06/15: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100200060-6