Hojatollah Ghanimi Fard, NIOC’s director of international affairs for over 20 years, has been named as deputy director for investment affairs at the state-run firm.

Ghanimi Fard has been replaced by Asghar Arshi who was previously head of crude oil marketing at NIOC’s international division.

The changes, announced on 7 July on Iran’s official energy news agency Shana, were made by Seifollah Jashnsaz, who was appointed managing director of NIOC in late February.

Jashnsaz was previously managing director of an NIOC subsidiary, National Iranian South Oil Company (Nisoc), where he tried to encourage more deals with foreign oil majors to develop the country’s energy industry.