NEW DELHI India's state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) Reliance PVT. Ltd are keen on exploring blocks and develop discovered oil and gas fields in Iran. This was told to IRNA by the Managing Director of ONGC-Videsh (foreign), Atul Chandra, here today. The Ministry of Commerce has shortlisted the ONGC-Videsh and Reliance to take up exploration blocks and discovered fields in Iran both offshore and onshore, said Chandra. Confident of winning the contracts, Chandra said that the Iranian government had already provided data to the ONGC-Reliance in that connection.

At present a two-member ONGC-Reliance team is in Iran, studying the relevant data, said Chandra. Chandra added: India's interest in taking up exploration and developing discovered fields was also conveyed by our minister for petroleum and nautral gas Mr. Ramamurthy to his Iranian counteprart Mr. Bajin Zanganeh recently. It may be noted that Ramamurthy met Zanganeh at the minister-level international energy conference at Cape Town, South Africa, on October 29-31 and discussed a host of issues on bilateral cooperation in oil and gas sector.

Chandra, however, refused to identify proposed projects in Iran. It cannot be publicised. Other companies may also compete with us. It is not commercially desireable at the moment, said Chandra. If ONGC bags the contract in Iran, it would amount to its return to Iran after a gap of 20 years. Ongc was involved in Iranian oil and gas projects from late 60s to 1978. It then developed two oil and gas fields, Raksh and Rostum in Persian Gulf in Iran. The ONGC has intensifed its overseas operations from this year.

According to Chandra, it has already secured rights for block exploration in Kazakhastan and signed a production sharing contract with Vietnam. Negotiations on similar projects are in the final stages with Iraq, Russia, Algeria and the US.