Iran is still to award some of the 24 energy project contracts that officials said would be awarded before 21 March, according to an industry source.

In February, officials speaking in London said that the contracts, which are worth a total of $6bn and are all based on the engineering, procurement, construction and financing (EPCF) model, would be awarded before the Iranian New Year.

“Ultimately, these contracts have not been awarded as planned,” said an industry source. “There are still some EPCF contracts that need to be awarded in near future.”

Speaking in February, officials said that the 24 packages were mostly onshore and that “around six” were offshore.

They said the contracts included platforms, compressors, and offshore drilling activity.

All of the packages have an execution timeframe of between three and five years.

The delay to the EPCF contract award programme is the latest in a string of delays to energy projects in Iran.

Last month, MEED revealed that the $3bn Anahita refinery project was seeing delays due to financing problems. The refinery is under execution in Iran’s Kermanshah Province.

Significant delays are also expected in the awarding of contracts for phase 11 of Iran’s South Pars gas field development project amid ongoing uncertainty about US sanctions.

The offshore portion of phase 11 of South Pars is estimated to be worth $1bn. The onshore portion is estimated to be worth $2.3bn.