Gas Exports to Europe on Iran’s Agenda: Official
SARAKHS (Tasnim) – An Iranian gas official said exporting the country’s natural gas to Europe is on the agenda, but noted that the government’s policy is to give priority to regional states.
Europeans are keen to import Iran’s natural gas through Turkey, Abdolhossein Souri, a deputy head of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), told reporters in the northeastern city of Sarakhs.
The oil ministry’s policy is to give priority to regional countries and to have further interaction with them, but exporting gas to Europe is also on the country’s agenda, he added.
Referring to other gas plans, Souri said the country will soon start exporting its natural gas to Iraq as well as to Pakistan through the IP Gas Pipeline.
Turkey is also importing Iran’s gas in maximum capacity as per the commitments in the contract between the two countries, he added.
Earlier in August, Iran restarted the export of its natural gas to neighboring Turkey after six days of halt caused by an explosion that hit the pipeline.
According to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, overall natural gas proved reserves at the end of 2014 stood at 34 trillion cubic meters in Iran, giving it the first rank in the world above Russia.
Increased oil and gas exports to the international market will come as part of a new wave of trade exchanges after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14 reached a conclusion over the text of a comprehensive 159-page deal on Tehran’s nuclear program.
The comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and the six powers would terminate all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran after coming into force.