TEHRAN - Iran has sent formal invitation letters to major oil companies to finalize the list of bidders for its upcoming IPC-based tender for the development of Azadegan oilfield, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

According to sources close to the matter, France’s Total and Anglo-Dutch Shell, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Sinopec are major companies among other invited candidates.
Azadegan is an oilfield Iran shares with Iraq at the western part of Iran’s southwestern region of Karoun.
National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Managing Director Ali Kardor had said earlier that the 29 companies which were pre-qualified to bid for oil and gas projects under the country’s new model of oil contracts known as IPC (integrated petroleum contract) will be invited for the final tender.
Back in March, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh announced that the process for holding a tender for the development of Azadegan oilfield has been started and “the qualified companies have been determined and the tender will be held very soon.” 
Azadegan oilfield has been the priority for the Iranian oil ministry to go on tender based on the country’s new oil and gas contract model.
Anglo-Dutch Shell, France’s Total, Italy’s Eni, Malaysia’s Petronas, Russia’s Gazprom and Lukoil, Austria’s OMV, Germany’s Wintershall, as well as companies from Spain, Poland, China, Japan, India and some other countries were initially announced by Iran’s Oil Ministry as the companies prequalified for the country's first IPC tender. 

EF/MA