Iran plans at least 2.5 mln bpd oil exports in June

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran plans to export at least 2.5 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) in June, the country's OPEC representative was quoted as saying on Sunday.

"On the basis of this program (Iran's crude export program), Iran will be exporting at least 2.5 million bpd oil in June," Mohammad Ali Khatibi was quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry's Web site Shana.

Another Iranian official, Hojjatollah Ghanimifard, early last month said oil exports from Iran had slowed by about 200,000 barrels per day since early April due to reduced demand from refiners in maintenance.

But Ghanimifard, international affairs director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), told Reuters that shipments should recover in the second half of May.

Refinery maintenance is traditionally carried out around April and May when demand for fuel falls after the end of winter.

Exports from Iran averaged just over 2.45 million barrels per day during the first quarter, Ghanimifard said in early May.

Roughly 60 percent of the Islamic Republic's crude sales are destined for Asia, with most of the rest moving to Europe and Africa.

(Reporting by Hashem Kalantari; Writing by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by David Cowell)