A senior NIOC executive tells MEED that following a trip by several of its executives to China this week, the state-run firm is committed to bringing more high-profile Asian contractors to work on its key projects.

“We know there is huge interest in many of the oil and gas facilities which we have planned and this will be a chance for Korean firms to consider Iran as an important investment target,” says the executive.

The meeting, set up in conjunction with Korea National Oil Corporation, is expected to be held in the first week of November.

IOC is understood to have met with senior officials at China National Offshore Oil Corporation in early October to investigate further co-operation on oil and gas exploration in Iran.