MOSCOW Russia's state-controlled Zarubezhneft plans to participate in several major Iranian oil and gas projects, the company's managing director told Interfax Friday. Oleg Popov said his company signed several preliminary agreements with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) in December, following initial talks with an Iranian Oil Ministry delegation in Moscow in April. The NIOC is ready to make Zarubezhneft its Russian strategic partner in oil projects just as (Russian gas giant) Gazprom is in Iranian gas projects, Popov said.

According to Popov, Iran is especially interested in having Zarubezhneft apply its expertise in offshore oil projects. One of the protocols signed in December called for Zarubezhneft specialists to take part in restoring production at platforms in the Sorush field which were severely damaged during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. Another called for drawing up an agreement to develop gas condensate deposits in part of Iran's southern Pars field.

Last year Gazprom, Total of France and Malaysia's Petronas signed a 1.5-billion-dollar deal to develop another part of the southern Pars field. Zarubezhneft is also one of a number of Russian oil companies expected to sign further agreements with Iraq under the oil-for-food deal approved by the United Nations. (AFP)