A 40-strong French delegation headed by Pierre Fabiani, former Total S.A. director in Iran, held negotiations with representatives from Iran’s Oil Industries, Engineering and Construction Company in Tehran on Monday.
The initiative was to promote cooperation between the two countries in Iran’s oil industry in the post-sanctions era, Shana reported.
The OIEC hosted 26 companies working in oil, gas and petrochemical sectors whose work involves contracting, engineering and construction operations.
The delegation, which arrived in Tehran on Saturday, consisted of major French companies such as CGG, Technip, B.V, IFP, Doris, Air Liquid and Subsea7.
During the meeting, OIEC’s CEO Behzad Mohammadi welcomed the French delegation to Iran and expressed sympathy for the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and said “French companies’ presence in Iran is an ideal opportunity to initiate cooperation”.
Mohammadi provided an overview of OIEC and its capacities, as well as its completed and underway projects.
Fabiani, Meanwhile, pointed to his experience in Iran and said recommencing negotiation with the Islamic Republic “marks a turning point in Iran-France relations in oil and gas sectors”.
Later, representatives from each French company provided a brief outline of their activities.
At the end, Eric Lamboley, market development manager of Technip France, discussed the details of collaborations in a bilateral meeting with OIEC’s CEO.
French oil and gas major Total has said it wants to play a role in exploring and developing Iranian oil and gas fields, and boost extraction from the Persian Gulf country’s rich hydrocarbon resources.
Paris-based energy corporation Engie official has also said it is closely monitoring investment opportunities in Iran’s oil and gas sector.
The nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers on July 14 has spurred French companies to rekindle trade with Iran and gain a foothold in the country’s lucrative energy projects.
