Hamidreza Araqi told Mehr News that the amount increased would be up to 30 million cubic meters per day. “The negotiations revolved around a gas agreement between Iran and Turkmenistan; Turkmen officials stated that they would remain committed to gas deal articles especially in winter,” he added.
“The deal makes it possible to raise the amount imported from Turkmenistan in cold months of the winter; starting in the beginning of the current year, Turkmenistan has exported 24-25 million cubic meters of natural gas to Iran,” Araqi asserted, adding that the amount would possibly be raised to 30 million cubic meters daily.
About the fluctuations in gas provision in the utility network and the reduction of gas imports, Araqi said that any reduction had been coordinated with the NIGC, attributing the reduction to periodic upkeep and maintenance operations in refinery and pipelines in some months of the year.
“According to agreements signed, there is currently no barrier blocking the flow of gas from Turkmenistan,” the deputy-oil minister ensured Mehr News.
Bijan Namdar Zanganeh recently visited Turkmenistan to discuss and sign gas deal with President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the Foreign Minister Reshit Meredov, and deputy-president for oil and gas affairs Khojamukhamedov. The deal secured flow of natural gas from Turkmenistan to Iran in cold months of winter.
Abdolhossein Samari NIGC deputy had told reporters before that the greatest gas storage facility in the Middle East would start operation, which reportedly would reduce Iran’s dependency on Turkmenistan gas. The official had said that Iran imported 40 million cubic meters of gas daily from Central Asian neighbor, “while Turkmenistan delivers only 23-24 million cubic meters of natural gas, well below the agreed amount, which would be addressed by authorities as an act of violating the articles of the agreement by Turkman side.”
The agreement also allows bartering with Iranian goods and oil industry machinery for Turkmenistan’s income from gas transit. Since 6 years ago, gas imports from Turkmenistan experienced fluctuations and they suspended the gas delivery to Iran in some occasions. However, Iran devised some measures to cut the dependence on gas from northeastern neighbor in recent 4 years which include new plans and facilities, and a 1024km-long pipeline, operation of third pipeline of 1270km of national grid, and establishing Caspian Sea provinces substations to facilitate gas distribution.
Turkmenistan national TV broadcaster covered Namdar Zanganeh and Turkmenistan’s president meeting, reporting that the president was highly satisfied with the level of relations between Tehran and Ashgabat. “Cooperation between Turkmenistan and Iran is based on the principle of good neighborliness, and the opening of Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railroad would be a giant leap forward in trade relations,” national broadcaster quoted president.
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