Iran on Wednesday voiced interest in using Norway’s help over the development of its offshore oil sector projects.

Saeid Hafezi, the managing director of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC), told Norway’s Ambassador to Tehran Aud Lise Norheim that the Norwegian companies can use the significant potentials that exist in Iran’s offshore energy projects.

Hafezi expressed hope that Norwegian companies would soon have an active presence in Iran’s oil industry.

Norheim, for her part, said she hoped that the new conditions over Iran’s oil industry would lay the groundwork for Norway's capable companies and investors to participate in Iran’s oil projects.

She also emphasized that Iran’s offshore oil projects offer lucrative prospects for Norwegian companies, stressing that Oslo is determined to enhance cooperation with Iran in all areas, specifically in the oil and gas projects, IRNA reported.

Norway’s Statoil was involved in a project to develop Iran’s South Pars Phases 6, 7 and 8 which was completed in 2008. Another company, Norsk Hydro, was involved in the exploration of Anaran block in western Iran. The two companies continued to stay in Iran after they merged but eventually had to leave in 2008 as a result of the pressures from the US-engineered sanctions against investments in Iran’s oil sector projects.

In December 2013, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh named Statoil in a list of his favor global energy enterprises that he said wanted to return to Iran’s oil projects.

Other companies that he named were Total, Shell, ENI, BP, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips.