mebb.de
Iran-Krise

Die US Regierung versucht nun auch Druck auf europäische Gas- und Ölkonzerne auszuüben, ihre Investitionen im Iran zu überdenken, offensichtlich aber ohne Erfolg – berichtet heute die WP.

In the past two weeks, the administration has met with European oil company executives about the Middle East, and during one session a senior State Department official cautioned that the situation with Iran was “hot and is going to get hotter,” one executive said. …

Despite the administration’s pressure, however, many of the world’s biggest oil companies were expected to attend a meeting in Vienna today and tomorrow held by National Iranian Oil Co. to drum up interest in 12 onshore and five offshore blocks. Executives from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Russia’s Lukoil, China’s Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corp. and Austria’s OMV will give presentations.

Offensichtlich lässt im Iran ausreichend Geld verdienen, dass es sich lohnt, den Zorn der USA auf sich zu ziehen, obwohl die Unternehmen Klage darüber führen, wie knauserig der Iran bei seinen Geschäften ist.

Oil company executives and consultants said any reluctance to invest in Iran ultimately has more to do with the stingy terms Iran offers than with arm-twisting by the U.S. government. Generally, Iranian contracts let foreign companies recoup costs and give them enough oil for them to make a small profit before control of the fields is turned over to National Iranian Oil.

Aber offensichtlich ist der “schmale Profit” noch groß genug, um trotz wachsender Spannungen und der Gefahr zusätzlicher Sanktionen neue Verträge abzuschließen.

Total will decide this year whether to proceed with a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the south of Iran.

Last week, Royal Dutch Shell and the Spanish company Repsol YPF S.A. signed a preliminary agreement with Iran to explore the possible development of another multibillion-dollar LNG project.

Um so mehr Grund für die US Regierung, den Druck zu verstärken.

On Monday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said of Shell’s Iranian negotiations: For investments over a certain level, “policymakers take a look at it and see if there’s any further steps that we, as a government, take.”