Iran says it is working on a plan to develop sophisticated small-sized gas liquefaction units – named Mini-LNG plants – with South Korea to answer energy needs in remote areas of the Islamic Republic.

The country’s IRNA news agency said an agreement to the same effect had been signed in South Korea’s Busan last week and that work over the construction of the first Mini-LNG plants could begin within the next four years.

Saeed Pakseresht, the director for research and development affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIGC), said a consortium from Iran and another from South Korea would be involved in the scheme.

"We do not have the technology to develop mini- LNG plants, but joining hands with companies like Oceanus consortium and KOGAS (South Korean's public natural gas company) is an important first step to develop our LNG sector," Pakseresht was quoted as saying by IRNA.

“In case of acquiring the know-how, it will become possible to transfer LNG to remote areas.”

The official added that scheme envisaged a production capacity of 15 tonnes per day, adding that this could rise to as high as 300 tonnes per day in a later stage.

Pakseresht further added that South Korea had already been able to meet all its need to gas through LNG, what he said was a clear sign that the country had the required technical capability to transfer the related expertise to liquefy gas to Iran.

The Korean companies involved in the project are Oceanus, Kitech Institute of Industrial Technology and Korea Gas Technology Company, IRNA reported.

The Iranian parties involved are the NIGC, the LNG Institute of Tehran University and the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI).