Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 18
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
The National Iranian Gas Company's Secretary of Planning Hassan Montazer Torbati has said that Iran's gas trade balance was positive in the current Iranian fiscal year (since Mar. 21, 2014), IRNA news agency reported Feb. 18.
"Our gas export volume increased by 8 percent this year," he said, adding that in the meantime, Iran exported 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas more than it imported during the current fiscal year.
After the Gulf states, European countries are of second priority for Iran to export gas to, he said.
Torbati noted that by the end of the current Iranian year (Mar. 20), the company's production of natural gas will have increased by 22 mcm/d compared to last year, far more than the usual 5 to 10 billion cubic meters annual increase before the current year.
He also said Iran has increased its gas transfer capacity to more than 700 mcm/d, adding that for the next year Iran will make operational its new number 6 cross-country pipeline which will prevent South Pars gas from being entrapped at the extraction sites.
The official further underlined that according to the Six Development Plan of Iran, the country is hoping to boost its gas export by 250 to 300 mcm/d by tapping more South Pars fields.
A January report said Iran imported 38.5 mcm/d of dry gas from Turkmenistan and exported 27 mcm/d to Turkey, registering a trade balance negative by 11.5 mcm/d. Iran increased gas imports from Turkmenistan in the fall.
Iran exported about 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2014, Azizollah Ramezani, director of the National Iranian Gas Company for International Affairs said.
Neighboring Turkey and Armenia were the main destinations of Iran's gas exports during the period.
He also added that the Islamic Republic imported 6.3 billion cubic meters of gas in 2014.
Iran has agreed to export 25 mcm/d of gas to Iraq, but the gas delivery will start at 7 mcm/d.
The figure can reach to 70 mcm/d in the future, Ramezani said.
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