Austrian integrated oil and gas company, OMV, is seeking to expand cooperation with the National Iranian Oil Company to secure a footprint in the country's upstream sector, OMV's Orient Upstream general manager said.
"We are very upbeat on the future of collaborations with NIOC and look forward to further our activities in the oil discovery, production and development fields," Kurt Wagner was also quoted as saying by NIOC's portal on Sunday.
He was speaking on the sidelines of Iran Oil Show 2018, the largest annual convention in Iran's petroleum industry in Tehran. In addition to Iranian companies, over 600 representatives from 37 countries have participated in the event.
The official described the two companies' previous cooperation as promising, saying that talks are underway to sign a deal with NIOC, within the framework of Iran Petroleum Contract, the country's new model of contracts for oil and gas projects.
Wagner noted that NIOC and OMV have seemingly found themselves increasingly on good terms.
OMV started operations in Iran in 2001 as the operator of the Mehr exploration block in the west of the country, but it was forced to drop out following the country's standoff with the West over its nuclear program that led to the introduction of financial and trade restrictions against Tehran.
The Vienna-based company looked into investment opportunities in Iran right after the lifting of international curbs in 2016.
Earlier reports from May 2017 suggested that OMV was in negotiations with NIOC to sign a long-term oil export contract. It purchased 1 million barrels of Iranian crude in September, its first cargo since 2012.
--- Croatia's INA Ready to Boost Energy Ties
Croatia's deputy prime minister and economy minister, Martina Dalic, who was also present at the oil show, expressed hope that the two countries could expand their energy ties in the near future.
Dalic noted that Croatia's national oil company INA can cooperate with NIOC by offering technical services and providing infrastructural equipment.
INA is currently a consumer of Iranian oil. Iran sent its first shipment to the Croatia in December 2017, Shana reported.
In 2008, INA signed an agreement on oil and gas exploration at 17 fields in Iran, but the project was stopped due to sanctions. However, after the lifting of international sanctions, Zagreb has sought to expand economic and energy cooperation with Tehran.
Iran is pushing for new deals with multinationals to raise crude production despite a global oversupply and persistently low prices. It is now pumping close to 4 million barrels a day, a level last seen before the tightening of international sanctions in 2011.
