Reuters: Iran hopes to start talks soon with Italy’s oil and gas group Eni on developing phase three of the country’s Darkhovin oilfield, despite delays with phase two, the oil ministry’s Web site SHANA said on Tuesday. TEHRAN, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Iran hopes to start talks soon with Italy’s oil and gas group Eni on developing phase three of the country’s Darkhovin oilfield, despite delays with phase two, the oil ministry’s Web site SHANA said on Tuesday.
Eni signed a $550 million deal with Iran’s state oil company in 2001 to develop the field. It brought the first phase on line in 2005 and is currently active in the second phase.
“Operating the third phase of the Darkhovin project is related to the performance of Italy’s Eni in the second phase,” the managing director of Iran’s Oil Engineering and Development Company, Mehdi Bazargan, told SHANA.
Bazargan described Eni’s performance in the first two phases as “remarkable”, despite delays in completing phase two which he said were caused by “some problems”, without specifying.
SHANA said the aim of the second phase was to increase oil output at Darkhovin to 160,000 barrels per day from 50,000 bpd in the first phase. It said the third phase would aim to add 100,000 bpd.
In June, Eni’s chief executive said oil output from Darkhovin would reach 160,000 bpd by the end of this year.
The United States, which is seeking to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear activities, has called on Western companies not to do business with the Islamic Republic.
