PRESS_TV - Iran has reportedly voiced its interest in importing significant amounts of gas from the second phase of Azerbaijan's Shah-Deniz gas field.

The Iranian Deputy Oil Minister and the General Manager of Iran's state gas company have held talks with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) over importing "some seriously large volumes from Shah-Deniz's second phase," Reuters quoted an Azeri government source as saying.

The source said that the talks were held in Baku over the last two days, adding that Iran could continue its discussions with the operators of the gas field.

The second phase of Shah-Deniz, worth $10 billion, is expected to come on stream between 2012 and 2013.

Shah-Deniz, located in the south of the Caspian Sea, is Azerbaijan's largest oil field. It produces nearly one million cubic meters of gas per day and has reserves of 1.2 trillion cubic meters.

Oil giant BP and Norway's Statoil are the major shareholders in Shah-Deniz. SOCAR, Russia's LUKOIL, France's Total, the National Iranian Oil Company and Turkey's National Oil and Gas Company each hold a 10 percent stake in the field.

... Payvand News - 05/29/08 ... --