Oman to be Iran’s gas marketing center: Minister

Oman to be Iran’s gas marketing center: Minister

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says Oman will be the Islamic Republic’s marketing center for selling gas in the region.

Zanganeh made the remarks at a press conference held on the sidelines of the 15th ministerial meeting of Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Tehran on Sunday, ISNA reported.

“Negotiations with Oman, whose last round was held yesterday (Saturday) with the Omani oil minister, has gone very well and we have completely agreed on fundamental issues,” the Iranian oil minister said.

Zanganeh added that the two sides will secure a contract by the end of the Iranian calendar year (ending March 19, 2014) or at the beginning of the next year.

“We have not negotiated on the gas price,” said the Iranian minister, adding, “We have agreed to transfer gas to Oman first and then look for market… in the region from that country.”

The Iranian oil minister censured the United States for using energy as a “political tool,” saying that this is not in the interest of energy consumers.

Regarding the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline, Zanganeh noted that “Iran has done a major part of the work [necessary] for the implementation of the project and now Iran’s gas has reached near the border with Pakistan with a high capacity.”

Meanwhile, Iran Gas Engineering and Development Company Director Alireza Gharibi said in an interview with the Oil Ministry’s official news agency, SHANA, that Tehran was ready to speed up construction of the Iranian section of the pipeline if Pakistan embarks on serious action for its side.

The IP pipeline is designed to help Pakistan to overcome its growing energy needs at a time when the country of over 180 million people is grappling with serious energy shortages.

On September 24, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed the need for the completion of the IP gas pipeline during a meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly.

Iran, which sits on the world’s second largest natural gas reserves after Russia, has been trying to enhance its gas production by increasing foreign and domestic investment.

The Islamic Republic has 137.6 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, and 29.61 trillion cubic meters of proven gas reserves.