(Adds BP not on list, background)
By Tom Arnold
DUBAI, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Iran has named 29 companies frommore than a dozen countries as being allowed to bid for oil andgas projects using the new, less restrictive Iran PetroleumContract (IPC) model, the oil ministry news website SHANAreported on Monday.
The list of pre-qualified firms included Shell,France's Total, Italy's Eni, Malaysia'sPetronas and Russia's Gazprom and Lukoil, as well as companies from China, Austria, Japan andother countries.
Iran hopes its new IPC, part of an effort to sweeten theterms it offers on oil development deals, will attract foreigninvestors and boost production after years of sanctions.
The list did not include oil major BP. The FinancialTimes said BP had opted out of the bidding because of concernsover possible renewed U.S.-Iran tensions after President-electDonald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Trump has said he will scrap the deal between Iran and worldpowers that imposed curbs on Tehran's nuclear projects andlifted sanctions on the Iranian economy last January.
State-run National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed thefirst oil output contract under the IPC model in October with anIranian firm identified by the United States as part of aconglomerate controlled by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The IPC model has been delayed several times due toopposition from hardline rivals of President Hassan Rouhani. Itends a buy-back system dating back more than 20 years underwhich Iran did not allow foreign firms to book reserves or takeequity stakes in Iranian companies.
The new IPC has more flexible terms that take into accountoil price fluctuations and investment risks, a senior Iranianoil official told Reuters in November.
Oil majors have said they would only go back to Iran if itmakes major changes to the buy-back contracts, which companiessuch as France's Total or Italy's Eni said made them no money oreven incurred losses.
For a full list of the companies: http://www.nioc.ir/Portal/File/ShowFile.aspx?ID=0b0b8c26-c6af-45f6-9aa3-a2995a7ac710 (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; editing by Jason Neely and DavidEvans)
BP (BP.)
