Iran to hold talks with Gazprom

TEHRAN, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Iranian oil officials announced plans Friday to send a delegation to Moscow to discuss the joint development of Iranian oil fields.

Seifullah Jashnsaz, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Co., said a delegation would travel to Moscow later this month, or possibly in early October, to discuss the deal, RIA Novosti said.

The oil division of Russian energy giant Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, and NIOC signed preliminary deals to develop the Douroud, Rig and Shourom oil fields.

"An Iranian delegation, headed by my deputy, will visit Russia in the next two weeks to discuss previously concluded agreements," Jashnsaz said.

Alexander Dyukov, the head of Gazprom Neft, said his company had launched geological studies of the North Azadegan oil field near the border with Iraq.

Gazprom had approached Iran to develop its South Pars gas field, and the North Azadegan deal would grant the company the rights to 60 percent of the output.

The NIOC estimates the Azadegan field is one of the largest fields discovered in the past 30 years.