Iran and Oman are 'about to form' a joint strategic committee to finalize a long-sought gas pipeline project, according to a report on the Iranian Oil Ministry’s news website Shana on Sunday.
Quoting the head of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), Mehran Amir Moeini, Shana said an Iranian delegation was scheduled to visit Oman in order to finalize the framework of cooperation between the two countries.
An Omani delegation visited Tehran in April to discuss the gas pipeline, it added.
According to Shana's report, Iran and Oman have been in talks since 2014 to carry out a gas pipeline project in which Iran is expected to send its gas through a sea pipeline to the Persian Gulf country to have it converted into LNG to be marketed by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
'The elongation of the talks is partly due to the lack of spare capacity in Iran to feed the pipeline until recently,' Shana said.
'With inauguration of several phases of the supergiant South Pars Gas Field, the country can now inject sufficient gas volumes into the pipeline,' it added.
Moeini told Shana that a call would be issued for the selection of the project's contractor following the finalization of the cooperation framework between the two countries, and after the signatories of the Iranian and Oman oil ministers.
He said talks regarding the legal aspects of the project were still ongoing, noting, 'Such prolonged talks for legal matters of projects are natural'.
Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr