Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 27
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran is ready to take steps towards handing over piping materials production technology to Azerbaijan, Amir Hossein Arshizadeh, managing director of Toos Payvand Company affiliated to state-run Petrolum Equipment Industries Company said.
Arshizadeh told Trend on Nov. 27 that the company is ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan on the issue, adding the sides can sign long-term protocols on the procedure.
In short-term Iran can export piping materials, in mid-term the sides can cooperate in assembling the materials and in the long term Iran can completely give the technology to Azerbaijan, he said.
Arshizadeh said that the Toos Payvand Company supplies Iran 's oil and gas industry with various piping materials including industrial fittings and flanges under the license of European companies.
The Islamic Republic itself has imported the technology of manufacturing piping materials from western countries and currently 50 to 100 percent of its equipment is manufactured inside the country and the remainder is imported and assembled in Iran , he explained.
"We are ready also to supply Azerbaijan 's offshore and onshore oil projects with demanded piping materials," he added.
"We held talks with the Azerbaijani state and private companies," he said, expressing hope that the meetings will lead to a successful conclusion.
While commenting on the effects of the sanctions on Iran's oil industry, Arshizadeh said the sanctions have increased expenses in manufacturing however, Iranians have found ways to by-pass the sanctions.
He emphasized that that under the presidency of Hassan Rouhani circumstances have improved. "For instance various European trade delegations make visits to Iran to find grounds for cooperation in various sectors including oil and gas industry," Arshizadeh said.
While commenting about widespread activities of Chinese companies in Iran he said that Iran had no choice but to replace the EU and the US companies that were active in the Islamic Republic's oil industry with companies which are using their technology or copying it.
Iran has tried to by-pass US-led international sanctions via third parties including military entities however, the oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says that it was useless and wasted the country's financial resources.
Western sanctions imposed on Iran to hamper its nuclear program have blocked sales of its oil to the West and made it increasingly difficult for Iran 's fleet to obtain insurance and financing for deals with Asian buyers.
Iran and six world powers (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, plus Germany) reached a breakthrough deal last November to curb Tehran 's nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief. But U.S. and EU sanctions on Iran 's energy sector, which have prevented western energy companies from dealing with Tehran, and slashed its oil exports from 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to around 1 million bpd remains in place.