Iran to supply 10% of gas market in next 20 years - official
Posted: 26 February 2008
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Gas-giant Iran is to become a supplier of 10% of the world gas market in the next 20 years according to a senior Iranian official, IRNA reported, Iran’s state news agency.
Compared with the current figure which stands at one percent, Iran is expected to increase when the South Pars 17, 18 and 19 phases are developed by 2013, said Reza Kasaeizadeh, Managing director of National Iranian Gas Company.
Iran, which holds about 974,000 billion cubic feet of natural gas has the second-largest gas reserve after Russia, currently exports gas to Armenia and Turkey and remains independent for its domestic consumption.
Iran, which sits on the world’s second largest gas reserves, now exports only modest amounts of gas by pipeline.
According to forecasts, Iran’s natural gas exports will be minimal due to rising domestic demand even with future expansion and production from the massive South Pars project
“ Iran is producing 85% of heavy compressors and 45% of all turbines and is now self-sufficient,” IRNA quoted him as saying.
Kasaeizade said that 76% of Iranians now enjoy the gas for household utility adding that no village had an access to tapped gas before Islamic Revolution.
He said that the US sanction on Iran is an opportunity for the domestic companies to develop and also use domestic potentials.
In addition, the level of natural gas production is now 447 million cubic meters compared with 36 million cubic meters in 1979, he added.
“Despite having rich gas reserves after Russia in the region, Iranians must not follow extravagance in gas consumption pattern”, Kasaeizade said.
He added that rls 32,000 billion has been spent on refining, transporting and distributing the gas over the past 10 months of the current Iranian year.
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