Iran has “excluded” Russia’s Gazprom from a major oil field project, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Monday, in the latest snub to foreign investors that Tehran feels are not fulfilling their promises.
But other reports suggest Iran is still seeking major investments from abroad, as well as seeking cash through a sell-off of its refineries.
“After several ultimatums and delays by Russia’s Gazprom, this big global gas producing company has been excluded from the development plan of the Azar joint oil field,” the National Iranian Oil Company said in a statement reported by Mehr.
The Russian energy giant had not actually signed a contract to develop the on-shore field, on the border with Iraq where it is known as Badrah, but Iranian media reported in March 2010 that it was about to do so.
Mehr said talks had broken down by March this year.
“The Russian Gazprom was put out of the negotiations about the development of the Azar oil field six months ago, and any request by Gazprom to get back into the oil field’s development would require (new) examination and evaluation,” Hamid Karimi, an oil official overseeing the development of the field, was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
Source: Reuters
