Official: Many Countries Ready To Buy Iran’s Gas

Sanandaj, Kurdestan Prov., Sept 30, IRNA – Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company Hamid Reza Araqi Tuesday pointed to the willingness of many countries to purchase gas from Iran and said currently Iran has contracts for gas export to Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan. Speaking at a local gathering, Araqi further remarked that gas export to some of these countries has become operational and the first phase of 7 million cubic meters per day of gas export to Iraq through Basra will be launched early in the next year. In subsequent phases, the figure will increase to 25 million cubic meters, he added. “At present, 70 million cubic meters of gas is exported to Turkey per day. Pakistan and India have announced their readiness to purchase gas from Iran.” With the preparation of the ground in coming years, European countries will demand Iran’s gas and the country should be prepared for active presence at international scene, the official noted. He said Iran, with 34 trillion cubic meters of gas, possesses the biggest gas reserve in the world, adding that currently 500 million cubic meters of gas is produced and consumed in the country per day and the figure will reach 1 billion cubic meters in the year 1396 (2017-2018). /end