Japanese refiner Cosmo Oil is looking at the possibility of buying more crude from Iran once sanctions on the Islamic republic are lifted and is also “actively” looking into crude imports from the US, company president Hisashi Kobayashi told Platts in an interview Tuesday. Speaking to Platts on the sidelines of a New Year reception hosted by the Petroleum Association of Japan in Tokyo, Kobayashi said economics will be key for any increase in the refiner’s Iranian crude oil imports and imports from the US, but added that “it is possible” it will increase crude imports from Iran in 2016 after the lifting of sanctions. Kobayashi said the Iranians had asked Cosmo Oil to increase volumes on a term basis but added that any additional imports from the country would be on a spot basis. “We do not intend to increase our imports [from Iran] on a term basis […]