Iran may boost gas exports to Pakistan
Iran plans to export 21 mln cubic meters gas per day to Pakistan.
TEHRAN (Online) - Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Javad Oji said that Iran plans to export 21 million cubic meters gas per day initially to Pakistan via the peace pipeline.
Talking to IRNA on the sidelines of a ceremony marking start of operation to pipe Iranian gas to Pakistan‚ he said Pakistanis favor increasing the ceiling of mutual contract to 30 million cubic meters per day.
He said necessary predictions have been made for export of 60 million cubic meters Iranian gas to Pakistan through the peace pipeline.
"So‚ their request to increase the volume of the gas exports to 30 million cubic meters from the current 21 million cubic meters will be studied."
The official said Iran-Pakistan gas line is continuation of the 7th pipeline originating from Asaluyeh.
He said the first phase of the 7th gas line‚ starting from Asaluyeh to Iranshahr in Sistan-Balochistan Province in an area of 900 kilometers‚ has been completed and people in the province are now benefiting from it.
Oji pointed out that 80 km out of the 320 km pipeline‚ which lies in Iranian territory‚ has been completed.
He noted that 780 km of the pipeline lies in Pakistani territory‚ costing 2 billion dollars to be implemented out of this $500 million of the piping cost has been financed by Iranian banks and companies‚ he added.
He said that the project is commissioned fully by Iranian experts. It is estimated to be fully complete in December 2014.
He noted that Iran can serve as sustainable supplier of energy to the neighbors as it has huge energy reserves.
