Iran seeks co-operation with Russia, Turkey

Offshore staff

TEHRAN-- Iran aims to develop 20 further offshore and onshore oil and gas fields under its latest five-year plan, according to the country’s Petroenergy Information Network (Shana).

Speaking at a conference in Moscow, NIOC’s oil and gas manager Bahman Sorooshi said some of these projects would be made available to foreign contractors.

“Russia has good potential for activities in Iran’s oil and gas sector,” he claimed, adding that NIOC was interested in co-operating with Gazprom and Tatneft, especially in technology and enhanced oil production.

At the same event, Abdulmohammed Delparish, corporate planning director of Iranian drilling group NIDC, said his company had a preliminary agreement with Turkey’s TPAO to develop phases 22, 233, and 25 of the South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf.

Delparish said delineation drilling under this venture could start later in 2009. Shana claims that NIOC has been in negotiations with TPAO over the past two years, in a program that could lead to Turkish companies investing $12 billion in the three phases.

Iran is keen to export gas to Europe via Turkey, either through the proposed Nabucco pipeline or via an overland line to the Turkish border for onward shipment. Production from current phases of South Pars is not sufficient to cover domestic and export demands, according to Shana.

In February, National Iranian Gas Exports Company and Turkish officials agreed to establish a joint company to transport up to 35 bcm/year to Europe via a pipeline, with supplies delivered at the border point of Bazargan.

06/29/2009