A tender will be floated to select contractors for the development of a gas pipeline project to send Iran’s natural gas to Oman through the Arabian Gulf, Oman Tribune reported.

The 400km gas pipeline between Iran and Oman is located in two onshore and offshore sections, informed Shans News Agency. The land portion of the gas pipeline spreads for 200 kilometers from Rudan to Mobarak Mount in southern Hormozgan province. The seabed section will extend for another 200 kilometers and it will cost $1.5b.

The two countries have signed contracts based on which Iran will export 28mcm/d of gas to Oman. Almost a third of the gas will be used in spare liquefaction facilities of Oman’s Qalhat plant, and the remaining will sustain gas demands in the Persian Gulf sultanate’s domestic market. Iran will export the produced LNG to European and Asian markets.

The Director of the National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC), Alireza Kameli, declared that the primary plans on the project are under way and geodesy processes in marine areas in both Iranian and Omani areas are completed. Seabed evaluation data are yet to be set for the purposes of the study. Kameli expected that researches on the land and marine sectors of the project will be concluded before year end.