Tehran, Iran, May 14
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Russian companies are pursuing a more active role in the Iranian energy sector as the country is now free of sanctions and open to international cooperation.
Gazprom is visiting Iran in the near future to discuss among other things cooperation on Iranian gas projects as well as R&D programs, Iranian Oil Ministry's public relations superintendent Jafar Pourfarjudi told Trend May 14.
He said the visit comes as part of negotiations between Iran and Russia on energy which started a year ago.
Gazprom is reportedly going to send a 30-strong delegation to Tehran.
Elsewhere, it has been said that the Russian company Uralmash,a heavy machine production facility of the Russian engineering corporation OMZ, is going to build drilling rigs in Iran.
Uralmash will be doing so with Demico, a privately-held Iranian engineering company, Pourfarjudi stated.
For the time being the two companies plan to build 24 rigs. The Iranian company will provide at least 25 percent of the equipment in the first phase of the cooperation which comprise of 12 rigs. The company will then improve its share in the second phase, building the 12 remaining rigs.
Pourfarjudi said the Oil Ministry always endorses Iranian companies' cooperation with foreign partners which would be willing to bring their technology and knowhow to Iran.
