Iran has decided to use local firms to develop a large offshore natural gas field, which was discovered by an Indian company and set to be developed by a group of Indian firms, Press Trust of India reported on Monday, citing sources with direct knowledge of the plans. An Indian consortium led by ONGC Videsh discovered the huge Farzad-B gas field back in 2008. Iran and India have since negotiated the terms of the field’s development for years, in fits and starts. Three years ago, the Indian consortium led by ONGC Videsh offered Iran US$11 billion in investments into the Farzad-B field on the condition that the Iranian authorities can guarantee it a reasonable level of returns. Reasonable, ONGC said in 2017, was 18 percent, according to the managing director of the company’s overseas investment arm. Negotiations between Indian companies and Iran on the development dragged on for years, […]