Tehran, Ankara continue energy talks
December 31, 2009 - 0:0
TEHRAN -- Iranian Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi and Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz held energy talks here on Wednesday.
During the meeting the two sides continued negotiations on development of Iran’s South Pars gas field phases 22, 23 and 24, and gas swap, SHANA News Agency reported.According to Mirkazemi gas transit via Turkey was also discussed in the meeting.
Iran and Turkish Petroleum International Company (TPAO) signed an agreement in 2008 based on which the Turkish side undertook to produce 20.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from three phases of Iran’s South Pars gas field, but the deal has been delayed.
In October Iran gave TPAO a one-month deadline to finalize the deal to develop phases 22, 23 and 24 of South Pars but then extended the deadline by three months during the high-ranking Turkish delegation’s visit to Tehran.
During the visit Iran and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to broaden ties in the field of gas industry.
Iranian Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi and Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz signed the MOU.
Transferring Iranian gas to Europe via Turkey, boosting the presence of Turkish firms on Iran’s petrochemical sector, and developing Iran’s gas fields were among the MOU items