Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 11
By Khalid Kazimov- Trend:
The Austrian company OMV and Malaysian Petronas have held talks to discuss investments in Iran's oil sector following the lifting of western imposed sanction.
"We have so far held preliminary talks and Petronas has expressed their readiness to begin projects jointly after the removal of sanctions," Mehr news agency quoted Iranian Central Oil Fields Co. CEO Salbali Karimi as saying Nov 11.
Karimi added that Petronas is also expected to train Iranian workers in the use of oil technologies.
Karimi further said that the OMV has expressed their readiness to cooperate in the development of projects at the Cheshmekhosh oil field.
In September, officials of Austrian company OMV told Trend it was monitoring the situation in Iran, but it was too early to draw final conclusions regarding possible business opportunities in the Islamic Republic.
Top European officials began visiting Iran after the nuclear agreement was sealed on July 14. Meanwhile, Austrian President Heinz Fischer was the first head of a Western state to travel to Iran on Sep. 8.
Additionally, a large Australian delegation composed of 240 company representatives, including OMV's Chief Executive Officer Rainer Seele, arrived in Tehran before Fischer.
According to Shana News Agency, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and Rainer Seele met in Tehran on Sep. 7 to explore ways to expand bilateral ties.
He also said "OMV is operating an office in Tehran which has never been shut-down, even during difficult political periods".
In April 2007, OMV signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Iranian Oil Company that envisaged OMV participating in Phase 12 of Iran's South Pars gas field, as well as in a plant that would liquefy the field's gas for export in LNG tankers. However, the project was stalled following pressure from the U.S. and European governments due to Iran's nuclear program.
In 2013, Iran announced it would inaugurate an oil refining facility in the west of the country, which is projected to add 125,000 barrels per day to the country's oil refining capacity and 60 million cubic feet to its gas refining capabilities.