NIGC to Accelerate Construction of Gas Network

National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) will speed up construction of national gas pipeline network especially the parts that will facilitate exports to neighbouring countries.

Mohammad Reza Ghodsizadeh of NIGC told state owned news agency Shana that the company is expediting completion of a strategic 600-km pipeline which will carry Iran's gas to neighbouring Iraq. NIGC has already completed a pipeline that will supply gas to Baghdad. Tehran is waiting for Iraqis to get prepared to receive the gas. Iraq has cited security situation as the reason for delay in start of gas supplies.

NIGC is also working on a pipeline to supply gas to Basra.  In November 2015, Iran has signed a six-year deal to supply gas to Iraqi city of Basra. As per the deal, Tehran will supply 20 mcm/d of natural gas to Basra in winters and 35 mcm/d summers. Gas exports to Basra will start with a daily volume of 7 mcm/d which would increase to 20 mcm/d in three phases. The gas will be fed to Iraq's gas network from Iran's 6th gas trunkline (IGAT 6). An offshoot of IGAT will cross Iranian city of Khorramshahr to reach Basra. IGAT 6 transfers gas from the giant offshore South Pars gas field in southern Iran to the border province of Khuzestan.

Pipelines in eastern and southern regions of the country are also being looked at, Ghodsizadeh added.

Iran has gas deal with neighbouring Turkey, gas swap deal with Azerbaijan, gas-for-power barter with Armenia, and gas exports to Pakistan.