Iran does no longer need gas import from Turkmenistan, Iranian Oil Minister Zangane said on August 11, 2014.
Iranian Oil Minister said in his interview that planned increase in gas production next Iranian year up to 200 million cub.m. a day will allow to fully stopping gas import from Turkmenistan.
This gas was mostly used to cover the needs of the private enterprises.
Iran’s debt to the gas suppliers from Turkmenistan will be covered at the expense of delivery of industrial and energy equipment, transportation means and agricultural products.
Gas delivery from Turkmenistan to Iran started in December 1997 after launching of Korpeje-Kurt-Kui gas pipeline. In 2001 Iran received about 4 billion cub.m. of gas from Turkmenistan. In 2005 the volume of deliveries totaled 5.8 billion cub.m. In 2007 the agreement envisaged increase in the volume of gas deliveries up to 14 billion cub.m. at the price of $65.00 per 1000 cub.m. However, by 2011 Iran imported from Turkmenistan only 6 billion cub.m. of gas a year.
After completion of the second phase of Dovlatabad-Saraks pipeline construction, which has been in operation since 2010, carrying capacity of the gas pipeline towards Iran increased up to 20 billion cub.m. a year. Iran gradually increased gas production.
At the end of 2013 the gas compressor station Keymir was put into operation on the west of Turkmenistan, which allowed increasing capacity of the gas export to Iran. In March 2014 Turkmenistan announced its intention to expand the gas deliveries to Iran. In May 2014 Zangane confirmed that Iran will continue importing the same volume of gas from Turkmenistan on the barter basis.
The results of the working trip of the Turkmenistan governmental delegation to Iran were discussed at the session of the Turkmenistan Cabinet of Ministers on June 30, 2014.
