On January 20, Iran and Syria signed an agreement to build an Islamic gas pipeline to transfer Iran’s natural gas to Europe in Damascus.
Previously, Owji had said that a tripartite meeting between Iran, Iraq and Syria will be held on the implementation of the agreement.
“After several round of talks, the new path for the export of Iran’s natural gas to Europe has been agreed upon (by Iran and Syria) by signing a document,” Owji was quoted as saying.
The official, who is also the managing director of Iran’s National Gas Company, said that the new corridor of natural gas to Europe will pass through Iran, Iraq, Syria, southern Lebanon territories and also through Mediterranean basin.
Owji said that the agreement, by means of which the natural gas of Iran’s South Pars and Assalouyeh fields will be transferred to Europe, was reached in Damascus meeting between the officials of the two countries.
The gas pipeline will send 110 million cubic meters of natural gas on daily basis to Europe, said Iranian official.
Previously, Owji had explained that Iraq has granted the permission to transfer Iranian gas to Syria via Iraq.
Owji went on to say that Iran is ready to export natural gas to Iraq in two phases, with 7-8 million cubic meters and 12 million cubic meters in the first and second phases respectively.
“Two European companies have suggested 6 routes for exporting Iranian gas to Europe. Persian pipeline, Nabucco Pipeline and the Iran-Iraq-Syria-Italy pipeline are the main proposed routes,” he added.
Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Allaw visited Tehran in August 2010 to discuss the possibility of shipping Iran’s gas to Europe through Syrian territories. Both sides reviewed plans to build an oil refinery and infrastructure in Syria to transport Iranian oil.
Iran plans to participate in the construction of a refinery with the refining capacity of 140,000 barrels in Homs, Syria.
Iran, Venezuela and Syria signed a preliminary agreement in 2006 to jointly construct the refinery.
Iran possesses the world’s second-largest gas reserves, which compose almost 16 percent of the world’s total.
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MNA