MNA cited Mr Yasushi Kimura chairman of JX Nippon Oil as saying that JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation renewed its term crude contract with Iran from January 2013.
Mr Kimura said that JX has a term contract to buy an estimated 83,000 barrel per day of Iranian crude and condensate until the end of December. But volumes for next year have not yet been decided.
Calculations based on trade ministry data said that Japan imported about 160,000 barrel per day in October and averaged 187,717 barrel per day for the first ten months of this year, down 41.3% from a year earlier.
He said that "That means we would make some reductions from the current level."
However, JX has put on hold the renewal of another Iranian crude contract for 10,000 barrel per day that expired in March.
