​LNG back on Iran’s energy agenda

New indications have appeared in Iran that show the country has brought back projects to liquefy natural gas – better known as LNG schemes – to the agenda of its energy sector.   

Alireza Kameli, the managing director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), has been quoted by the news agencies as saying that talks are underway with eight companies over investments in Iran’s LNG schemes.

Kameli emphasized that most of the companies with which Iran is negotiating to that effect are international enterprises.

He added that all companies have presented their proposals to the Ministry of Petroleum and that Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh will decide how and with whom to proceed.

Iran had previously defined three key LNG schemes – Iran LNG, Pars LNG and Persian LNG.  However, two were later dropped as a result of sanctions that prohibited investments in Iran’s oil and gas projects.

Iran LNG is the only remaining scheme which is currently half complete and officials in Tehran have announced that its development will be expedited now that the sanctions have been lifted.

Iran is also at the same time pursuing an ambitious plan to pipe natural gas to Oman and turn it into LNG for exports to international markets.

Talks between the two countries over the project appear to be progressing well and officials have already announced that a deal that would envisage piping gas from Iran to Oman’s Qalhat plant is close to finalization.

On a separate front, Iran’s oil officials said in early April that discussions are underway with a Norwegian company to build a floating facility to liquefy natural gas in the Persian Gulf for exports to Europe and the Far East.