TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran plans to construct a major oil terminal on the shores of the Sea of Oman in the southeast of the country to facilitate crude exports, Tasnim news agency reported Tuesday.
The "strategic decision" has been made by the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, Tasnim quoted Iran's petroleum minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh as saying on Monday.
The new terminal, to be used for exporting oil, has been put out to tender, Zanganeh said, adding that the construction work will begin next year.
The Iranian minister said an oil refinery with a capacity of 300,000 barrels of crude oil will also be built in the vicinity of the new terminal.
Moreover, he said Iran hopes to clinch new agreements to develop its oil and natural gas fields, Financial Tribune daily reported Tuesday.
Tehran is poised to sign 10 new oil deals by March 2018, the end of the current Iranian calendar year, Zanganeh was quoted as saying.
"This is our assumption and we can't give an accurate number. But we are engaged in serious negotiations that could lead to some 10 new oil deals by the year end," Zanganeh said.
The onshore Azadegan, Sohrab, Azar, Abteymour and Mansouri oilfields in southern and southwestern Iran as well as the oil layer of the giant South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf are the ministry's top priority projects.
Negotiations for the development of the fields are all going well, Zanganeh noted.
