Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
More than 520 million cubic meters of gas was transferred via Iran's national gas network per day in the first 9 months of the current Iranian fiscal year, started on March 21, 2014.
Mehdi Jamshidi-Dana, an official with the National Iranian Gas Company, said 143 billion cubic meters of gas was transferred in the 9-month period, Iran's Shana news agency reported on Feb. 15.
The volume shows 11 percent rise compared to the same period in the previous year, he noted.
The national gas network is comprised of 33,232 kilometers of pipeline and 70 pressure boost stations, he said.
Iranian officials have earlier emphasized that the country's gas output would increase by 100 million cubic meters after the four phases of South Pars gas field come on stream before winter.
Hamid Reza Araghi, managing director of National Iranian Gas Company said that Iran produces as much as 550 million cubic meters of gas a day, and work on the four phases of South Pars will add 100 million cubic meters by March.
Iran holds 33.6 trillion cubic meters of proved gas reserves, sharing 18 percent of total global gas reserves which puts the country in the top of the world's gas holders list. However, lacking technology and investment led to long-term delays in implementation of gas production projects.