Iran has extended a deadline for bids on oil and gas projects, urging Britain’s BP PLC to join major international companies that have already applied, local media reported on Saturday.
The bidding round for exploration and production licenses comes as it seeks to revive the sector, hard-hit by international sanctions that were lifted last year.
National Iranian Oil Co managing director Ali Kardor said the deadline for bids had been pushed back to Feb. 15, ISNA news agency reported.
Photo: AFP
He said the original late this month deadline had been extended because “information from some companies was not complete.”
He said BP had still not submitted a bid.
“We are interested to see more companies on the list,” Kardor said.
“BP has not sent its information to us. Although we said this is an official process and you need to enter your information, they haven’t done it,” he added.
The new licensing round comes a year since a deal between Iran and world powers came into force, lifting international sanctions against Tehran in return for limits on its nuclear program.
Iran is keen to access new technology to boost its production from fields it shares with its Gulf neighbors.
Last month, it published a list of 29 companies it would allow to bid.
It said it had received bids from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Italy’s ENI SpA, France’s Total SA, Russia’s OAO Gazprom and OAO Lukoil, and Schlumberger Ltd of the Netherlands.
Asian giants, including China National Petroleum Corp (中國石油天然氣) and Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corp (中國石化國際石油勘探開發), Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co, also put in bids along with companies from Malaysia and South Korea.
Oil-rich Iran has increased production to 3.9 million barrels per day from 2.6 million before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013.
It has also earned more than US$2 billion from gas sales since sanctions were lifted, Kardor said.
The country has already signed a flurry of deals with international companies.
In November last year, French oil and gas giant Total SA signed a preliminary agreement for a US$4.8 billion project to develop an offshore gas field at South Pars, which Iran shares with Qatar.
In December last year, Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding with Gazprom on the development of two major oil fields, as well as three preliminary deals with Shell to examine developing major oil and gas fields.
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