Tehran reported that Iran's natural gas exports will reach 60 billion cubic meters per year by the end of the fifth five year development plan (March 2016).

Mr Javad Owji MD of National Iranian Gas Company said that presently, Iran exports some 30 billion cubic meter of natural gas annually to Turkey, Armenia, Nakhichevan, Iraq and Pakistan. Iran plans to raise gas exports to 230 million cubic meters per day by 2025 aiming to boost its share in global gas exports to 16% from just one percent at present.

Mr Mostafa Kashkouli deputy director of the National Iranian Gas Company said in February that Iran plans to build diverging pipelines for exporting gas to Syria, Iraq and European countries. Building diverging pipelines for the export of gas to Syria, Iraq and Europe has been added to the National Iranian Gas Company's agenda.

Mr Kashkouli said that infrastructures for distributing and developing gas exports have been made available in the country, adding that at present there are 34,000 kilometers of pipeline for a strong flow of gas out of Iran. Iran, which sits on the world's second largest natural gas reserves is making efforts to boost its gas production by increasing foreign and domestic investments, especially in its South Pars gas field.

He said that the South Pars gas field is shared by Iran and Qatar. The Iranian share which is divided into 29 phases, has about 14 trillion cubic meters of gas or about 8% of the total world reserves and more than 18 billion barrels of liquefied natural gas resources.

Source - Tehran Times

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