Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 11
By Emil Ilgar – Trend:
France’s Total has willingness to work in Iran-Iraq joint North Azadegan oil field, while BP and Royal Dutch Shell are negotiating with Iran to develop independent oil fields in southern regions of the country, the Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for Engineering and Development Affairs Gholam-Reza Manouchehri told Fars Nov. 11.
He said Iran is also in talks with Chinese companies on North Azadegan and Yadavaran fields, both are joint with Iraq.
Manouchehri also said that BP and Shell are keen to develop several independent fields, but the talks have not been finalized.
He didn’t name any fields, but Fars reported citing anonymous oil officials that BP wants to work in one of four fields, namely Kananj, Parsi, Rag Sefid or Shayegan.
All of them are in operation area of state-run National Iranian South Oil Company, which produces 3 million barrels per day, or 82 percent of Iran’s total crude oil output currently.
IRNA also quoted Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh Nov. 11 as saying that the country would announce a tender on Azadegan, and Total is to compete with other foreign companies to win the project.
Total, Shell and BP resumed crude oil purchase in spot from Iran after removal of nuclear sanctions in January 2016.
Last week, Total, Chinese CNPC and Iran’s Petropars signed a heads of agreement to develop Phase 11 of South Pars gas field to produce 56 million cubic meters of gas per day.