Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 8
By Temkin Jafarov, Saeed Isayev - Trend:
If oil exploration in Caspian is economically justified, Russia may cooperate with Iran on oil production in its sector of the sea, Russia's ambassador to Iran, Levaz Jagarian said, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on Feb. 8.
As previously reported, Iranian oil ministry said in December 2011 that Iran might discover huge gas reserves (1.4 trillion cubic meters) 700 metres below the Caspian Sea. Then on May 10 it was announced that this field has a huge, eight billion barrel oil reserve as well.
Iran further created a special consortium to develop its oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea, the Mehr News Agency quoted head of the maritime studies centre at Sharif University of Technology Mohammad Sahid Seigi as saying.
It has also been reported that Iran, already having an oil-producing platform on Caspian, planned to increase the number of drilling rigs operating in onshore and offshore oilfields by 36 to reach 134 by March 2014.
Former National Iranian Oil Company's (NIOC) managing director had said that Ahmad Qalebani told the Shana news agency that the country's daily oil and gas outputs should amount to five million barrels and 1.47 billion cubic meters by 2015.
Some 2500 oil and gas wells should be drilled and commissioned during Iran's fifth five-year economic development plan (2010-2015).
Levaz Jagarian underscored that Russian oil companies are interested in participating in oil-related projects in Iran.
"Russia is an independent country, and it doesn't have to follow Western policy," the ambassador said. "Moscow is ready to expand its cooperation with Tehran, as these relations are very important for Russia."
Jagarian said trade and economic relations between Russia and Iran are on a high level, and expressed hope that the joint economic commission between the countries, that is set to be established in the near future, will reach serious compromises, and the sides will be able to sign relevant documents.