TEHRAN, Nov. 30 (MNA) Pointing to the preparation of pipelines and installations to kick off Irans gas export to Iraq, Irans deputy oil minister expected that exporting gas to neighboring country will begin by early next year.
In an interview to Mehr News about the latest status of gas export contract between Iran and Iraq, Irans Deputy Oil Minister Hamidreza Araghi said that currently the final stages of construction, installation and setting up of pipelines, gas transmission and facilities were underway to export natural gas to Iraq.
Emphasizing that the expected time schedule for exporting gas from Iran to Iraq will be early next Iranian year (beginning on March 21, 2015), Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hamidreza Araghi said that at the first stage, Irans gas will supply energy requirements of Baghdad and its power plants.
Deputy Oil Minister reminded that, under an agreement with the Iraqi government, gas exports to the neighboring country would rise in each phase, adding that accordingly next year and in the first stage, between 5 to 6 million cubic meters of gas on average would be exported to Iraq.
Hamidreza Araghi said that the implementation of second and third phases of export are time consuming due to the need for building up of nearly 300 km of pipelines and gas installations required for the completion of the phases.
After increasing the electricity exports to Iraq, countdown has begun to export natural gas particularly sour gas from South Pars to Iraq.