Iran aims to export crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Poland in the post-sanctions era, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said Saturday, according to Iranian Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Speaking to Polish Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechociński in Tehran, Zangeneh said his country suggested Poland to buy Iranian crude oil in the first step.
'Poland has announced its readiness to cooperate with Iran in different energy sectors. Since Polish [oil] refineries have been modernized, they can use Iranian crude oil,' the oil minister said.
Zangeneh added that LNG is also on the energy agenda during the negotiations between the two countries.
'Terminals have been built in Poland to import LNG...Once the projects are completed, Iran would go ahead with LNG export to Poland,' he was quoted saying by IRNA.
Poland is one of the many countries that tries to build business and trade ties with Tehran in the post-sanctions era. After signing a final nuclear deal with the world powers P5+1 group on July 14, officials and trade missions from Germany, Italy, Japan, Austria and Spain visited Tehran so far to establish economic relations and invest in Iran's untapped oil and gas resources.
- Iranian gas to Oman for LNG
Tehran also aims to export LNG to Asia and Europe through Oman, with a project in which Iranian gas would be delivered to Oman through a pipeline and later turned into LNG in Oman.
After meeting with Oman's Oil and Gas Minister Mohammed bin Hamad al-Rumhy, Zangeneh said Monday that the two officials talked about the planned gas export pipeline from Iran to Oman, and agreed to speed up the project.
The project plans to carry 28 million cubic meters of Iranian gas per day to Oman for 15 years, while the deal is worth $60 billion, based on current natural gas prices, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.
In late May, an Omani delegation visited Tehran to discuss plans to build a pipeline under the Gulf of Oman, from Iran's South Pars gas field to Oman's north shore, extending 200 kilometers onshore, and another 200-kilometers under the sea. The pipeline is expected to be built in 30 months, according to IRNA.
'Currently, about 23 percent of the LNG production capacity in Oman remains unused. It is expected that Iran uses this vacant capacity for evaluation and sale of LNG, and pays Oman the commissioning cost for turning gas into LNG,' Alireza Kameli, Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company, was quoted by IRNA on Saturday.
By Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
ovunc.kutlu@aa.com.tr