News   /   Energy

Total says committed to its contract with Iran

Total CEO Patrick Puyanne

French energy giant Total says it is fully committed to the development of an Iranian gas field, adding the firm will seek a waiver if the US decides to unilaterally pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.

“If the US decides to put back the sanctions [on Iran], we have to look at what the consequences are ... and then we will see, either Donald Trump decides to maintain the waivers and we will move on with the project”, Total CEO Patrick Puyanne was quoted as saying in an interview with The National newspaper.

Total was the first Western energy firm to sign a deal with Iran after the 2015 nuclear deal. As part of a 20-year contract with Iran, the French firm agreed to develop phase 11 of the country’s South Pars field, the world’s largest gas field shared with Qatar.

Total’s project in Iran is expected to have a production capacity of 2bn cubic feet per day or 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day including condensate. The produced gas will supply the Iranian domestic market starting in 2021.

Elsewhere in the interview, Pouyanne underlined that Total expects its plans in Iran to be allowed to go ahead smoothly because its contract with the country was signed after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“If the US decides not to sign the waiver, then what will be our position, it’s quite simple - as the project has been awarded prior to that decision during the period of time that we could sign … we will argue that we should benefit from the grandfather clause and we will ask for a waiver from the US authorities.”

US President Trump has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the landmark agreement between Iran and six world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program saying the deal could be nullified.

Iran has announced explicitly that the JCPOA is non-negotiable and the country will remain committed to the deal only as long as the US and other sides continue to do so.

Total’s CEO said the company is committed to its contract with Iran.

“Our intent is to do all that we can to execute the contract that we signed…We have good arguments to explain…This contract, it’s a contract for domestic gas to help the people in Iran. It’s not an export contract,” said Pouyanne.

He then underlined his company’s full compliance with the legal international requirements and added his company will wait and see what the US and European governments decide about the JCPOA.

"Today the priority is to concentrate on South Pars and…be able to execute that contract… It’s a very serious situation for the stability of the region,” he concluded.

 

 


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku