TEHRAN – Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Iran will refund French oil and gas major Total’s investments in the phase 11 of South Pars gas field but not until the project becomes operational, Shana reported on Saturday.

“Total is not supposed to pay a sum as a penalty to Iran, but the money that this company has invested in phase 11 of South Pars until now will not be reimbursed until the time of operation and production,” Zanganeh said.

According to the minister, the French company has spent near $25 million while working on South Pars project in Iran.

Total signed a contract in 2017 to develop phase 11 of the field with an initial investment of $1 billion, but it pulled out of the project in late August after failing to obtain a waiver from reinstated U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

EF/MA