The Iranian Oil Ministry denied Sunday a press report saying that that the French oil giant Total and the Anglo-Dutch Shell companies have set preconditions for accepting cooperation with Iran, reported Iran News Agency (IRNA).
The ministry said that the two companies have good cooperation ties with Iran, and that they are active in several buy-back projects with the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC).
The ISNA news agency said that Total and Shell have called for dissolution of the NIDC in return for their cooperation with Iran, according to IRNA.
Meanwhile, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh Tuesday last week defended plans to privatize the NIDC, said IRNA.
Zanganeh said the NIDC privatization plan had been temporarily shelved pending resolution of a controversial proposal to sell the firm to the oil ministry's employees' pension fund.
Zanganeh said the privatization was authorized by law, but added: "If our colleagues are opposed to it in substance, then we will inform the government of this." -- Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
