DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Iranian PresidentHasan Rouhani will address a panel of top global oil executiveson Thursday as the Islamic Republic steps up efforts to win backinvestments from oil companies as part of its rapprochement withthe West.
Rouhani will give a short speech to chief executives fromoil majors such as Eni, BP, Total andShell, according to several executives who meet on the sidelinesof the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine resort ofDavos.
Heads of U.S. companies such as Exxon Mobil could alsoattend, the executives said.
Tehran wants Western oil companies to revive its giantageing oilfields and develop new oil and gas fields oncesanctions are lifted and is improving its oil investmentcontract in order to lure them in.
The major OPEC producer has started implementing a nucleardeal with world powers, a step towards a broad settlement whichcould lead to the end of sanctions.
Western sanctions imposed on Iran for its nuclear programmehave choked Tehran's production - output is down a millionbarrels per day (bpd) since the start of 2012 to 2.7 million bpd- costing billions in lost oil revenue.
Top Iranian officials say the country can raise productionto 4 million bpd within six months of sanctions being lifted.Western experts are more conservative, saying 3 million to 3.5million bpd is more likely.
Encouraged by a preliminary nuclear deal struck between Iranand Western powers in November, Tehran and Big Oil have wastedno time making contact, in the hope of a full lifting ofsanctions.
Paolo Scaroni of Italy's Eni was the first Western CEO tomeet publicly with Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, on thesidelines of a meeting of the Organization of the PetroleumExporting Countries last month.
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