Oil Minister: Iran-Iraq To Sign Gas Contract

Tehran, July 21, IRNA - Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said Sunday Tehran would start pumping seven million cubic meters of daily gas to Iraq by the next two months. Qasemi underlined that Iran and Iraq are set to sign an agreement in Baghdad on Sunday under which Iran will supply natural gas to Iraqˈs Al-Baghdad and Al-Mansouriyah power plants. The agreement will be signed by Iranian oil minister and his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Kareem Luaibi. Iran would be pumping 25 million cubic meters per day of natural gas to the two Iraqi power plants. He added that Iran and Iraq would sign another gas deal in near future, on the basis of which Iranˈs total gas export to Iraq would reach 50 million cubic meters a day. Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Javad Oji told IRNA on Saturday that Iran would receive nearly dlrs 10 million a day and dlrs 3.7 billion a year from natural gas exports to Iraq. He added that 227 kilometers of the 47-inch pipeline would be laid on Iranian territory and 270 kms in Iraq. He reiterated that such agreements would pave the way for further expansion of all-out ties between the two friendly and neighboring countries. Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein in 2003./end