Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran has enough gas to meet the European countries' demand, Azizollah Ramazani, the National Iranian Gas Company's manager for International Affairs, said.
Enjoying the largest gas reserves in the world, Iran has the capacity to export gas to various countries, Ramazani said, Iran's Mehr news agency reported Jan. 19.
The NIGC official further welcomed the upcoming visit of the EU delegation to Tehran to boost mutual cooperation in the fields of gas and energy.
Earlier on Jan. 17, European Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said that the European Commission will undertake a first "technical assessment mission" in February to explore energy ties with Iran following the lifting of international sanctions.
Also, an EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said around 15 EU officials would go on the initial four-day technical visit and after that, high-level Commission staff, possibly with a business delegation, would travel to Iran, Reuters reported.
Referring to the issue, Ramazani emphasized that Iran's gas exports should not be limited to neighboring or regional countries only, adding exporting gas to far away countries in particular the EU should be on agenda.
He said that gas exports to Europe will bring political advantages to Tehran alongside with the economic achievements.
Iran can export its gas to the EU via pipeline, Ramazani said, adding various routes including Black Sea, Iraq, Syria and Turkey have been planned for transferring gas to the European countries.
Earlier Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that Tehran's current plan is based on exporting LNG to European markets.
Iran has an LNG plant, developed by 50 percent with 10.5 million tons (or above 14 billion cubic meters natural gas) of production capacity annually, which is expected to become operational by 2019.
Once the plant is completed, Iran will enter to the European gas market, Zanganeh said.
Tehran sees LNG as becoming more viable than piped gas, which requires a great deal of time and high costs to reach Europe.
Further, the country plans to build the capacity to export 40 million tons a year of LNG, which is super-cooled to minus 162 degrees Celsius for shipment by special tankers.
