Reuters: India to Talk Sanctions, LNG Imports During Obama Visit

India will use an upcoming visit by Barack Obama to press the United States to remove Indian oil companies from a list naming firms doing business in Iran, and to seek priority access to U.S. LNG exports, sources in the Oil Ministry said.

The U.S. president will arrive in New Delhi on Jan. 25 and hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Washington in September. An official agenda has not been released.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) listed three Indian companies as having commercial activity in Iran's energy sector in a report this week, potentially making it difficult for them to do business with other countries, mainly the United States.

Oil and Natural Gas Corp, Oil India Ltd and Indian Oil Corp, which have been on the list since 2010, cited interests in Iran's Farsi concession in their 2013-14 annual reports but told the GAO they had ceased activity in 2007, the GAO said. MORE