Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told Mehr News on Saturday that Iran would establish the first FLNG (Floating Liquefied Natural Gas) facility ever made after nuclear deal with the west; “building LNG-producing facility in line with exports of LNG to European countries is a priority for the ministry; currently, it has a 60-per cent physical growth and when completed, it will add to the 10.5 million metric tons of LNG annually,” Mr. Zanganeh said.
“We had some talks with Spanish contractors as possible partners; however, no definite partner has been chosen yet,” he told Mehr News, who asked Mr. Zanganeh about contractors in the project. On the issue of seizing [by German authorities] of LNG facility equipment in Germany, minister said that German Linde Group would deliver the facility equipment when removal of sanctions took effect.
“Building of a floating LNG producing facility is in the current agenda, to which the gas from Forouzan oil rig will contribute as feed; we do not have plans to buy or lease an oil tanker, and a foreign contractor will provide the facilities,” Zanganeh asserted. “Iran has the capacity to produce 12.5-13 million metric tons of LNG post-JCPOA; even with plummeting oil and gas prices, no issue will rise about Iran’s LNG markets.”
Meanwhile in a related story, Roknoddin Javadi, deputy-minister and head of Oil Industries Engineering and Construction Co. had told Mehr News earlier that Iran had not had plans to build gas pipeline which would export gas to Europe; “Iran will join LNG producers and exporters soon,” he had told the agency.
Iran has so far signed contract agreements with three European companies to transmit and store natural gas, with Spanish company planned to cooperate in LNG offloading in southern terminals and Polish and Austrian companies in gas storage.
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