Iranian Troops Occupy Romanian Rig in Gulf
K.T. Abdurabb, Arab News —


DUBA, 23 August 2006 — Iranian troops occupied a Romanian drilling
platform in the Gulf yesterday, confirmed Gabriel Comanescu, the president
of the platform’s Romanian operator GSP Grup. Grup Servicii Petroliere s.a
(GSP), the Constanta-based company, alleged that security forces yesterday
fired at its rig, Orizont, and forced their way in and cut off
communication lines in an act of violation of international norms.

It said that Petro Iran Development Co (PEDCO), a subsidiary of
state-owned National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC) of violating international
norms by taking over its rig and crew in Iranian waters despite court
orders to the contrary.

“This is a grave incident and we are extremely worried over the safety and
well being of the crew. We have no news from the rig since all the radio
communication lines have been cut off,” said Comanescu. The crew of
Orizont consists of 26 members — 19 Romanian and 7 Indians. The background
to the incident was an ongoing dispute from April this year over drilling
rights with Iranian oil companies Petro Iran and Oriental Oil Kish,
Comanescu said.

Four armed Iranian soldiers were holding the platform, said GSP executive
said, citing information from a platform employee who was able to
communicate to the outside world by mobile phone. The employee added that
all personnel were safe.

In Bucharest, Sergiu Medar, security adviser to Romania’s President Traian
Basescu, said the government would wait for information from Iran before
reacting, as only information from GSP was available. “For now, we can
only say that it’s a trade row that Iran has reacted too harshly to,”
Medar added. Mircea Has, Romanian trade representative in Tehran, said he
delivered a note of protest.

According to a GSP statement, the rig was hired by Dubai-based Oriental
Oil Company and without the consent of GSP further rented it to Petro
Iran. GSP had terminated the contract with Oriental on account of breach
of contractual conditions namely failure to open an acceptable L/C as
security and nonpayment of invoices for several months currently exceeding
$8 million.

However, GSP was contacted Monday night by Oriental Oil Company
representative, Syrus Nasseri asking the company to be prepared to move
Orizont which has terminated its contract since April 1 2006. Yesterday
morning two tug boats and a military ship with security forces fired 20
warning shots and requested that Oriental Oil Company representatives be
allowed on board to stay on the Romanian registered rig.

“We are confident that these acts would not be tolerated by international
community and the office of the President of Romania is making sure that
the Iranian authorities are warned of the consequences of such illegal
acts,” he said.

Comanescu said GSP lawyers in Iran and abroad are currently in touch with
Iranian authorities and has conveyed the company’s protest and concern
over the new situation.

— With input from agencies