Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iraq wants to increase Iranian gas imports to 100 million cubic meters per day.
Former Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi, who is currently the secretary of the Iran-Iraq economic development headquarters, said that the two countries has signed an agreement, according to which Iran will export 25 mcm of gas to its neighbor, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Jan. 17.
"However, Iraq has put in a request to increase Iranian gas imported to 100 million cubic meters per day," he said, adding "the goal may be accomplished in the future."
Iran is expected to start pumping gas to Iraq in the next Iranian calendar year, which starts on March 21, 2015.
Iran has agreed to export 25 million mcm a day of gas to Iraq, but the gas delivery will start at seven mcm per day.
The Iran-Iraq gas pipeline begins in Charmaleh district of Iran's Ilam province and continues all the way to Naftshahr on Iran-Iraq border.
After completion the pipeline will be initially capable of exporting five million cubic meter of natural gas to Iraq per day in the initial phase.
During the first three years this pipeline will export from 4 to 7 million cubic meters of gas per day to Iraq. In the next two years the gas exports to Iraq will increase to 15 mcm per day and within the following three years the amount of Iran's daily gas exports to Iraq will increase to 25 mcm per day.