Iran aims to export 300-350 million cubic meters of natural gas to 15 neighboring countries in the years to come, director for international affairs at the National Iranian Gas Company revealed.
Azizollah Ramezani made the statement on the sidelines of the 21st Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition (Iran Oil Show) in Tehran, IRNA reported.
“Iran’s current gas production stands at 700 million cubic meters per day and plans have been made to raise the volume to 1.2 billion cubic meters by the end of the sixth five-year development plan (2016-21),” he said.
He added that with the new phases of South Pars Gas Field going on stream in the near future, the Persian Gulf country’s gas export capacity will reach 200 million cubic meters a day and by employing optimization plans, the figure can be raised to 350 mcm/d.
Pointing to the fact that Iran has gas export, import and swap deals with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan, Ramezani said gas negotiations with Afghanistan, Oman, Kuwait and other Persian Gulf littoral states are underway, hoping that the talks would lead to the realization of the goals.
“After supplying neighboring countries, Iran can set new goals to claim a share of larger markets such as India, China and Europe via gas pipeline or in the form of liquefied natural gas,” he said.
The official referred to the 80% share of exports in Iran’s total gas production during 1966-79 and added that following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country’s strategic policy was to prioritize the growing domestic needs.
According to Ramezani, as Iran’s gas production is on the rise and all domestic sectors, including gas injection, petrochemical complexes and large industries, are connected to the national gas grid, there is enough room to sell the surplus output.
SP’s Output to Reach 800mcm/d
With the implementation of five new phases of South Pars in the current Iranian year (started March 20), Iran’s daily gas production will reach 800 million cubic meters from the joint field, equaling Qatar’s annual output, Ali Akbar Shabanpour, managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company, announced on Friday.
“If the remaining phases, including Phase 14, would go on stream, Iran’s production of gas condensates will rise by 1 million barrels per day,” he was quoted as saying by Shana.
The POGC chief also said on Thursday that the Persian Gulf country’s production of gas condensates from South Pars, which accounts for 50% of Iran’s natural gas production, has crossed 500,000 barrels a day.
On the Iran-Qatar race for increasing gas production from the field, Shabanpour said Qatar’s annual output, which stands at 177 billion cubic meters, has not changed in the past three years, while Iran is pressing ahead to raise output that reached 132 billion cubic meters last year.
Iran, which is now producing as much as 75% of its neighbor’s output, has succeeded in narrowing the gap.
