Page 9 - MEOG Week 20 2021

MEOG PIPELINES & TRANSPORT MEOG

Oman remains keen

on Iran gas link

IRAN/OMAN OMAN’S Oil & Gas Minister Mohammed Gas Exports Co. (NIGEC) met with representa-
al-Ruhmy said this week that the Sultanate is tives of Oman’s energy ministry and IOCs Shell,
keen to resume talks to construct a subsea gas Total and Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) for further
pipeline connecting the country with Iran once discussions but the talks were abandoned follow-
sanctions have been lifted. ing the US withdrawal from the Joint Compre-
Speaking to S&P Global Platts, al-Ruhmy hensive Plan of Action in 2018.
said: “I am optimistic that, if not the later part Al-Ruhmy said that he continues to monitor
of this year, maybe soon we will be talking about the Vienna talks on the US’ return to the JCPOA,
bringing life to that project again. There are many but noted that he was wary of the potential for
opportunities to make good use of that project future upheaval.
from Oman’s point of view.” “We could do with more gas, if the supply is
Muscat and Tehran signed a memorandum steady, guaranteed, [with] no threats from future
of understanding in 2013 with Iran committing sanctions. The first question people ask is what
to supply a minimum of 28mn cubic metres per if, after Biden, Trump comes back and cancels
day for a minimum of 15 years. The plan centred the agreement again? This question will be asked,
around a 400-km land-sea pipeline involving the and we have to be careful on what type of agree-
laying of a 200-km onshore section from Rudan ment we have this time around.”
to Mobarak Mount in Iran’s southern Hormuz- Oman was boosted last year when Gha-
gan province, with the other 200 km running zeer, the second development phase of BP’s
on the seabed between Iran and Sohar Port in project in the 3,700-square km Block 61 came
Oman. The construction phase was originally on-stream, adding a further 14mcm per day
anticipated taking around 30 months. to the 28mcm per day produced from the first
In 2016, officials from the National Iranian phase, Khazzan.™

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