Iran Announces Oil Ministry Shake-up

Reuters, Times of Oman:

OPEC heavyweight Iran announced on Tuesday a long-awaited shake-up at its key Oil Ministry, with new faces taking five deputy minister posts, including one which is responsible for running state oil company NIOC. READ MORE

Scores of senior personnel changes have swept through the government since former Revolutionary Guardsman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president in August pledging to stamp out corruption and redistribute oil wealth to the poor.

Changes at the Oil Ministry have been slower in coming due to Ahmadinejad's difficulties appointing a new oil minister. Three candidates were either rejected by parliament or withdrew following criticism of their lack of experience before Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh, a veteran ministry insider, was approved last month.

The Oil Ministry announced that Gholamhossein Nozari replaced Mehdi Mirmoezi as deputy minister and managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

Nozari had previously held the post of head of NIOC subsidiary the Central Iran Oil Company.

Among other appointments, former managing director of the National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NIPIC) Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh was appointed as deputy minister and managing director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC).

Nematzadeh was replaced at NIPIC by Asghar Ebrahimi Asl who had been manager of the South Pars gas field phases 4 and 5. Mohammad Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian retained his position as deputy minister for international affairs.

Mohammad Reza Kasaeizadeh was named as deputy minister and managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC). Kasaeizadeh had formerly worked as a deputy at the refining and distribution arm NIORDC.