TEHRAN, April 10 (Shana) �- Iran has started injecting natural gas to a pipeline that will transfer the gas to Iraq.

Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Transmission Company Mohammad-Ali Emam has told Shana that by injection of gas to the pipeline, Iran has technically become ready for sending its gas to neighboring Iraq.

"The pipeline is complete on the Iranian side and will be presently inaugurated by senior Iranian officials to start pumping gas to Iraq," he said.

Iran and Iraq signed a 6-year gas deal in November 2015 based on which the former will supply Iraq with a daily amount of 25mcm of natural gas according to a schedule.

Based on the deal, signed by NIGC head and Iraqi Deputy Minister of Electricity Khalid Hassan Saleh, Iran will supply 20 mcm/d of natural gas to Basra in cold seasons and 35mcm/d in hot seasons of the year.

Gas exports to Basra will start with a daily volume of 7 mcm which could increase to 20 mcm/d in three phases.

The deal makes Iraq Iran's biggest gas customer as it allows the selling of 40 mcm/d to 65 mcm/d of its gas to Iraqi cities.

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.

Iran has several gas deals with neighboring states like gas exports to Turkey, gas swap with Azerbaijan, gas-for-power barter with Armenia, and gas exports to Pakistan, which are yet to become finalized.

Part of the gas to Iraq will be used for generation of gas to address some of Iraq's electricity troubles.

The country, also an OPEC member, is facing serious load-shedding and Iranian companies are operating 33 megaprojects, worth $1.5 billion, in Iraq for the time being.

By SHANA