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Iran postpones exporting gas to Iraq to next year

Iran Materials 19 May 2014 12:55 (UTC +04:00)

Tehran, Iran, May 19

By Milad Fashtami - Trend:

Iran will start exporting gas to Iraq once the two sides complete their share of the gas pipeline.

Iran's deputy oil minister Ali Majedi said that the construction operation will be completed next Iranian calendar year (to start on March 21, 2015), Iran's IRNA News Agency reported on May 19.

"The two sides are working hard to construct the pipeline as soon as possible,"Majedi explained.

"Based on the signed contract, Iran and Iraq can postpone the starting day of gas exports to next year," Majedi said.

It is while, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Hamidreza Araqi said on March 4 that based on agreement with Iraq, Tehran will start exporting gas to Baghdad in Summer.

Previously it was announced that Iran will start exporting gas to Iraq in spring.

"Iran will start exporting gas to Iraq limitedly with 3 or 4 million cubic meters per day," Araqi said, adding that Iran will implement the deal in 3 phases.

"Transition to the second phase will take time because some 300 kilometers of pipeline should be laid, "he explained.

The managing director of National Iranian Gas Exports Company Alireza Kameli said on Dec. 7 that Iraq has requested to increase its gas imports from Iran up to 90 million cubic meters per day, the IRNA News Agency reported.

"The two sides have agreed to increase the volume of Iran's gas exports to Baghdad to 40 million cubic meters from the current 25 million," he explained.

Kameli went on to note that Iran will start with exporting 25 million cubic meters of gas in 2014 and will increase the figure to 40 million cubic meters in 2015.

"The two sides have also agreed to extend the deal for 10 years," he said.

The deal was previously valid for 4 years.

Iran will also export 50 million cubic meters of gas to Iraqi city of Basra, and also plans to construct two pipelines to export gas to Baghdad and Basra.

Iran's sixth cross-country gas pipeline will feed the two mentioned pipelines.

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