Tehran, Iran, Aug. 31
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran is now the Middle East's leading country in terms of gas storage capacity.
The country is also among the world's top five countries in this regard, Iran's IRNA News Agency reported on August 31.
Iran's Natural Gas Storage Company's Managing Director Masoud Samivand previously said that the country's gas storage capacity currently stands at 8 billion cubic meters.
The United States of America with 121 billion cubic meters ranks first in the list.
Based on the Fifth Five-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (2011-2015), gas storage facilities are in charge of providing enough gas to meet 14 percent of the country's total consumption in the cold months.
Samivand said on Feb. 21 that based on global standards, Iran needs to store around 10 to 15 percent of its total consumption which is equal to 15 billion cubic meters.
The managing director of National Iranian Gas Company, Hamidreza Araqi, said on August 29 that the country will be able to extract 9 million cubic meters of gas from Shoorijeh gas storage facility in winter.
"Iran is currently injecting 5-7 million cubic meters of gas per day to the facility," he said, Iran's Fars News Agency reported.
The Shoorijeh gas storage facility, located in the north-eastern province of Khorasan Razavi, has the capacity to store 4.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Iran will store extracted gas from the joint gas fields, especially the giant South Pars field, in the facility.
Samivand said on June 21 that the country will pump over 20 million cubic meters of gas per day from its two major gas storage facilities in winter, Iran's SHANA News Agency reported.
"In case of constructing a 40-million cubic meters refinery for Shoorijeh facility and another 20-million cubic meters facility for Sarajeh facility, the country will even be able to pump 60 million cubic meters of gas to national network," Samivand added.
Samivand said on June 14 that Iran will store 2 billion cubic meters of gas in the Sarajeh gas storage facility by the end of the current Iranian calendar year [March 20, 2015].
"Currently some 7 million cubic meters of gas could be extracted from the facility," he said, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported.
"Over 7 million cubic meters of gas per day is being currently pumped to the facility," he said, adding that some 13-15 million cubic meters of gas can be extracted from Sarajeh gas storage facility in winter.
"Some 10-15 million cubic meters of gas can also be extracted from Shoorijeh gas storage facility in winter," Samivand noted.
Iran plans to increase its gas storage capacity by the end of the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21.
Iranian oil minister has ordered the related bodies to do their best to achieve the goal, Iran's IRIB News Agency reported on April 20.
According to BP's latest yearly report, Iran's dried gas output is about 160 bcm, a little more than domestic consumption level.
Iran exported 7.5 bcm of gas to Turkey and imported 4.5 bcm gas from Turkmenistan in 2012, according to BP's report.
Iran's Fars News Agency reported on June 28 that the country is currently constructing 9 more gas storage facilities in different provinces across the country.
The construction operation of Iran's third gas storage facility is underway in central Kashan city.
Once the facility comes on stream, the country's total storage capacity will be increased by 3 billion cubic meters, reaching 11 billion.