Tehran, Iran, June 6
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Venezuela has requested that Iran export technical and engineering services in regards to its fuel rationing smart card system to the Latin American country.
The two countries have started their negotiations over the issue, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported on June 6. Brazil has also made the same request.
It was announced on May 7 that Petropars Company had closed its office in Venezuela.
However, the managing director of Iran's Petropars Company, Mohammad Javad Shams, said that the company had not closed its office in Venezuela yet and may continue its oil activities in the Latin American country, Iran's IRNA News Agency reported on May 20.
"If the necessary requirements are provided, we will continue our job in Venezuela," Shams explained.
"The U.S. is the main buyer of Venezuela's oil, so the country is worried about Washington's pressure," he explained.
Petropars was supposed to carry out offshore projects at Venezuela's Dobokubi field.
Shams said on May 7 that Petropars Company has officially canceled its oil agreement with Venezuela's PDVSA Company, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported.
"Petropars wanted to start its activities there, but the Venezuelan company asked for several new conditions," the company's managing director explained.
"Finally we decided to close our office in Venezuela," he said.
"From now on Petropars Company will put it focus on developments of Phases 12 and 19 of South Pars gas field," Shams added.
National Iranian Oil Company had previously closed its office in another South American country. Mehr News Agency reported on April 7 that National Iranian Oil Company officially closed its office in Bolivia. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh issued the order.
NIOC had opened the office in Santa Cruz four years ago to boost Iran's technical and engineering services' exports to South American countries.
The managing director of NOIC, Roknoddin Javadi, said that the company will gradually close its offices across Latin America as well in the near future.
He went on to note that keeping the offices open is not economically justified, adding that the offices only served political purposes.
"NIOC should only follow economic approaches, and not political ones, "he noted.
NIOC has signed several oil contracts and agreements with the South and Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Cuba, and Nicaragua.