LONDON
(Dow Jones)--Iran's President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad nominated a National
Petroleum Company manager as oil
minister on Tuesday in his third attempt
at winning support for a candidate.
Political
and industry officials from the second
largest producer in the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries say the
nominee, Mohsen Tasalouti, has more
relevant experience than did the
president's previous choices for the top
oil post.
But the
officials remain skeptical that
Tasalouti will manage to win crucial
support from the Iranian parliament, or
majlis.
"He
seems to have sporadic support in the
majlis, so it is all a bit more
positive," says Ali Ghezelbash, director
at Tehran-based Atieh Bahar Consulting.
"But I am still not sure if he can go
the whole way."
Iranian
oil ministry officials say that despite
Tasalouti's background in Iran's energy
business - he has worked for 11 years at
the National Petrochemical Co, NPC - it
is not yet clear whether the 51 year old
will convince parliament he is the right
man for the job.
"There is
no doubt that this guy has some good
solid experience in petrochemicals, but
whether he has the ability to be a
minister is another issue," said an oil
ministry official.
Tasalouti,
who has a master's degree in
architectural engineering, also had
various construction jobs at Iran's
interior ministry.
Parliament
is expected to discuss the nomination
over the next week.
Tasalouti,
reported in Iranian press to be a
relative of Ahmadinejad, is the Iranian
president's third nominee after the
previous two failed to garner support.
The
president's previous nominee, Sadegh
Mahsouli, withdrew from the running last
Wednesday before the parlimentary vote,
because he lacked political support.
Iran
hasn't had an oil minister since
Ahmadinejad came to power in August, and
acting Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri, who
was appointed then, has represented the
country in OPEC.
Iranian
oil officials have been quick to play
down suggestions among industry players
that the oil ministry is in a crisis
because of the delay in appointing an
oil minister.
But
politicians have criticized the
country's new conservative president in
recent weeks. Defeated presidential
candidate Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
decried the delay.
Atieh
Bahar's Ghezelbash says the oil ministry
is functioning in the absence of a
minister. But he adds that "nothing new
is happening, no new oil and gas
contracts are being signed."
A source
who has worked very closely with
Tasalouti, at Iran's NPC, believes the
latest nominee would work hard to woo
foreign investment into Iran. "His track
record at NPC shows he is a man who is
keen to work closely with foreign
companies," he says.
Gaining
speedy access to foreign technology and
capital is essential if Iran is to meet
its important oil and gas production
targets in coming years.
Tasalouti
is currently managing director of the
special petrochemical zone organization
in southern Iran at Bandar Imam.
