by Byrne » Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:11 pm
Strange Story this Iranian 'attack' on a Romanian Oil Rig.<br><br>I think something is afoot here.........<br><br>From <br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.menareport.com/en/business/202033">www.menareport.com/en/business/202033</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>National Iranian Oil Co. Subsidiary Holds Offshore Rig on Frivolous Premises for 3 months, says Constanta-based GSP</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> <br> <br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Posted: 17-08-2006</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> , 09:04 GMT<br> <br> Grup Servicii Petroliere s.a (GSP), a Romanian drilling and oilfield services company today accused Petro Iran Development Co (PEDCO), a subsidiary of state-owned National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC) of violating international norms by holding hostage one of its rigs and crew in Iranian waters despite court orders to the contrary.<br><br>The Constanta-based company, part of the Upetrom Group Management Limited which employs some 4,000 staff with 98 years experience in manufacturing oilfield equipment, said two of its rigs – Fortuna and Orizont – were held hostage in the Iranian waters despite the termination of contract four months ago.<br><br>“This is a complete violation of human rights as the rigs and its crew was moored in the Iranian waters even after the termination of contract,” said Mr. Gabriel Comanescu, President of GSP. <br><br>“As a <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>gesture</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> of goodwill <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>GSP allowed the rigs to continue its work schedule for three months since the date of termination of contract</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> on April 1st , 2006 in order to secure the well,” he said.<br><br>“We have managed to arrange the necessary clearance for the boats to take out one of the rigs – Fortuna - based on a court decree from Queshm and an implementation order from Hengam Island security forces hand delivered to PEDCO, but the other rig along with Romanian crew is yet to be released though there is a court order issued three months ago from Kish Court,” he said.<br><br>GSP said the rig, Orizont, is still held hostage by PEDCO delaying the clearance papers for boats to toe it citing frivolous reasons like safety procedures for the last three months. “It is ridiculous that PEDCO is obstructing the clearance documents for the tugboats & all the shipping agents are afraid to lose business from PEDCO if they cooperate with us. How can it take three months to implement safety procedures, which have not even started. We even offered that we will do the necessary safety procedures in line with international norms,” said Mr. Comanescu.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>The rigs were hired by Dubai-based Oriental Oil Co.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> and without the consent of GSP further rented to PEDCO. GSP had terminated the contract with the company on account of breach of contractual conditions namely failure to open an acceptable L/C as security and non-payment of invoices for several months currently exceeding US$8 million.<br><br>Denying the allegations made by PEDCO in the media recently, Mr. Comanescu said GSP has full right to take out the rigs post termination of its contract with <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Oriental Oil Co</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->. Moreover, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>GSP later discovered that the Dubai-based company had never existed and it was never registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>“PEDCO’s illegal actions are clearly blatant violation of all international norms, conventions and practices. We have all intentions to take on these violations in competent court of law and pursue justice,” said Mr. Comanescu.<br><br>He said GSP is willing to cooperate with NIOC for a future contract but only through a direct contract without an imposed broker, adding that PEDCO’s delay on the issue was akin to pirate acts which will bring down the reputation of NIOC.<br><br>“We hope that Iranian authorities will take immediate action for the illegal obstruction of the rig Orizont and the safety of our Romanian crew on board. With such behavior, it is no wonder that nobody is participating in the tenders organized by NIOC in Iran. PEDCO management is mistaken if they assume such pressure will force me to sign a new contract with their nominated broker,” Mr. Comanescu<br><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>But Then on 00:04 Tuesday August 22, 2006, on the Iranian News Agency, everything is reported as hunky dory between Iran & Romania<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0608221376000403.htm" target="top">www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0608221376000403.htm</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br>Today: Tuesday August 22, 2006 Iran, Romania call for expansion of bilateral relations Vienna, Aug 22, IRNA <br>Iran-Ambassador-Romania <br>Iran's Ambassador to Romania Ali-Akbar Farazi met with Deputy Senate Speaker Theodore Melchekano on Monday. <br><br>In the meeting, the two sides expressed pleasure over developing ties and stressed on strengthening bilateral relations, the embassy reported. <br><br>According to the report, holding the sixteenth joint economic commission and joint session of the two countries' businessmen to promote trade exchanges were among the agenda of the meeting. <br><br>Also, the two sides discussed the future visit of Senate speaker and the head of foreign policy commission of the Romanian parliament to Iran. <hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->Also at <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0608228414110708.htm" target="top">www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0608228414110708.htm</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->, no mention of any Iran/Romania disagreements/issues etc.<br><br>Now, is the the Dubai-based company<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em> 'Oriental Oil Company'</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>(that never existed and was never registered with the DCCI)</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, the same as the <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Oriental Oil Kish</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, referred to in the report below, & linked to <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Halliburton</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> etc.<br><br>From <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3040" target="top">www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3040</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Iran’s top nuclear negotiator faces charges over Halliburton ties</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> <br>Fri. 29 Jul 2005 <br>Iran Focus<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Tehran, Iran, Jul. 29</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> – <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Iran’s judiciary has arrested</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> several executives of a <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>privately-owned oil drilling company</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> over their dealings with the U.S.-based oil giant <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Halliburton</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> and one of the country’s top <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>nuclear negotiators is facing charges of involvement in an oil scam</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, a semi-official news agency reported.<br><br>Fars News Agency said Mehrdad Safdari, chairman of the Board of Directors of <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Oriental Oil Kish</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, and several of his collegues are being interrogated over the company’s trading.<br><br>A senior <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>member of Iran’s nuclear negotiations team, Sirus Nasseri, is the vice-chairman of the Board of Directors of the oil company</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->. The news agency said “a well-informed source” close to the investigation sharply criticized Iran’s “security and political agencies” for their “blatant weakness” in preventing Nasseri from dealing with Halliburton.<br><br>“The authorities must be particularly vigilant about the extensive economic activities of some of the country’s officials”, he said. The source noted that “Nasseri had access to the country’s most secret information as <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>a member of Iran’s nuclear negotiations team and was at the same time dealing directly with the American company, Halliburton, which used to be run by Dick Cheney”.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Oriental Oil Kish, one of Iran’s largest private oil companies, was set up in 2003 with an initial capital of 10 million tomans. In a few weeks, the company’s capital rose to 200 million dollars and soon jumped to seven billion tomans, a startling 700 percent rise in less than a year.<br><br>“The judiciary has been investigating this company for six months and after the collection of sufficient information and completion of inquiries, prosecution has begun”, Fars news agency, which is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reported.<br><br>Other senior executives of the oil company facing charges include managing director Mohammad Madani, Chief Executive Officer Ali Matin Nejati, and operations director Ahmad Salari.<br><br>The Tehran-based daily Kayhan reported that investigators had <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>discovered one million dollars in cash at the home of one of the detained oil executives</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->. “Powerful figures have been exerting pressure to secure his release, but Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi has insisted that the case be prosecuted”, the daily wrote, adding that it would uncover “a chain of corruption and embezzlement scams”.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Oriental Oil Kish</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> first blipped on the international media’s radar screen in January, when it was <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>announced</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> that the company had <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>subcontracted parts of the South Pars drilling project to Halliburton</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> Products and Services registered in the Cayman Islands. <br><br>“Nasseri, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>a senior Iranian diplomat negotiating with Europe over Iran's controversial nuclear programme is at the heart of deals with US energy companies</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> to develop the country's oil industry”, the Financial Times wrote.<br><br>The next day Halliburton announced the South Pars gas field project would be its last in Iran. The BBC reported that Halliburton, which took in $30-$40 million from Iranian operations in 2003, "was winding down its work due to a poor business environment."<br><br>But <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>the controversy over a key nuclear negotiator signing up big oil contracts with a U.S. oil giant</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> did not die down in Iran. Hard-line members of Iran’s parliament demanded to question Nasseri over his oil deals and an influential Tehran daily reported that the Ministry of Oil was handing over multi-million-dollar contracts to Oriental Oil Kish while much of the company’s operations exist only on paper.<br><br>“This company has won contracts worth more than 500 million dollars from the Oil Ministry in the past three years, while it is not even registered in Iran”, the daily Kayhan wrote in an editorial on January 20, 2005.<br><br>Evidence shows that Oriental Oil Kish was set up by entrepreneurs and officials close to ex-President Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Nasseri himself is a long-time protégé of Rafsanjani.<br><br>Investigators have pointed out that the company’s operational centre in <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Dubai</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> is a small office with seven, mostly Indian, employees. Its two offices in Tehran’s Vali-Asr and Africa streets have no signboard and have a staff of about 15 persons. The <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>company’s letterhead has no address and only provides one telephone number</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->.<br><br>While there is a strong case for the prosecution of the senior executives of Oriental Oil Kish, Iran analysts see the crackdown on the company as a frontal assault by the ultra-conservative camp on the oil businesses of Rafsanjani and his allies. The new hard-line President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s top election pledge was to “<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>purge the country’s oil industry of Mafia-like influence and corruption</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->”. This was widely seen as a thinly-veiled allusion to election rival Rafsanjani’s involvement in privately-owned oil companies in Iran.<br><br>“By targeting the private oil companies run by the Rafsanjani clan, Khamenei is going for the ex-President’s jugular”, said Ahmad Nassehi, a Dubai-based financial analyst. “Rafsanjani has lost much of his political clout in the elections. If his economic power is undermined, too, he’ll be out of the game for good”.<br><br>Analysts say <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>the prosecution of Oriental Oil Kish executives will provide an indication as to how far, and how high, the incoming hard-line government is going to pursue the anti-corruption campaign.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Hmmm.......... <p></p><i></i>