Germans interested in Iran’s oil exploration, drilling projects

Tehran, Dec 8, IRNA – German companies have conducted negotiations with the officials of the National Iranian Oil Company and announced they are ready to participate in oil and gas exploration and drilling projects. German companies have a longstanding record of participation in Iranian industrial projects which has experienced ups and downs in recent years for different reasons. The latest Iran-Germany cooperation in the oil industry is related to the exploration of unconventional oil shale reserves in the Zagros region. Meanwhile, recently a Germany company signed a memorandum of understanding with Oil Industry Research Center for the production of fuel from ultra-heavy oil and oil residue. Through cooperation with this German company the technology for the production of this type of fuel is expected to becomes localized. Given that Iran’s oil fields are turning from light oil to heavy oil gaining access to the technology to prepare fuel from ultra-heavy oil inside the country is highly important. In the most recent developments in Iran-Germany relations in the field of oil, Ali Majedi Iran’s Ambassador to Germany and former Deputy Oil Minister has announced commencement of negotiations between a number of German oil drilling companies and the National Iranian Company about which no official report has been made yet. Gholamhossein Shafeie, Chairman of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, after meeting a German delegation pointed to the increased cooperation between German and Iranian companies in the field of energy. He said cooperation in the field of energy and development of small and diversified industries are among plans that can be followed up with Germans, “as we believe this country has good expertise in the said fields.” Oil giants, after recent developments and agreement of Iran with G5+1 have not concealed their willingness to return to Iran and even some of the managers of French and Italian companies have secretly visited Iran and held negotiations in order to stabilized their positions in the Iranian oil industry after the anti-Iran sanctions are lifted. Attractions of Iran’s oil and gas industry are such that oil giants cannot resist it and thus have made efforts for starting negotiations and consultations with the Oil Ministry and NIOC in this regard./end