Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) will purchase its first delivery of Iranian crude oil indirectly from Tehran, despite of the Greek refiners signed deal with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) earlier this year, local Greek media reported. Rather, this month’s load, and likely the next three, scheduled for April, will have to be purchased from France’s Total, ekathimerini.com reported. The Athens-listed ELPE is currently unable to be supplied directly with Iranian oil quantities as provided by its deal signed with NIOC on January 22 due to the uncertainties following lifting of sanctions which are causing problems with ELPE’s payment of the first 100-million-euro installment of its 600-million-euro debt to the Iranian company, it said. “We have disbursed the installment, but it has not yet reached Tehran,” an ELPE source was quoted saying to Kathimerini. Total has signed an agreement for the acquisition of major quantities of Iranian crude.