TEHRAN Sept 08 (Shana) – Austrian OMV international oil and gas company has expressed its readiness to cooperate with Iran in the area of oil wells stimulation shall the US-led sanctions are lifted, Deputy Petroleum Minister for International Affairs and Commerce Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia said.

“Using new technologies, OMV is ready to double production of Iran’s oil and gas fields through Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) methods,” he told Shana following a meeting between Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh and OMW CEO Rainer Seele in Tehran.

Seele is in Iran as a member of the top-¬ranking industry representatives headed by the President of Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Christoph Leitl.

Prior to his departure to Tehran, he said the nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1 group of world powers which was reached last July in Vienna has provided lucrative opportunities before oil and gas firms on joint ventures with the Islamic Republic.

To a question on whether OMV has been approached to carry Iran’s gas to Europe, Zamani-Nia said gas export is an issue which demands a long-term approach.

“There is no short-term plan for export of gas to Europe,” he added, “Our priorities are the neighboring and regional countries because of political and economical considerations.”
European countries are looking for lucrative investment opportunities in Iran that could be unlocked by the nuclear deal in the post-¬sanctions period.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer arrived in Tehran on Monday as the first head of state to visit the Islamic Republic following the conclusion of nuclear talks.
On the sidelines of the Austrian president’s state visit, the Austrian¬-Iranian Business Forum is scheduled to convene on Tuesday.

By SHANA