Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2
By Khalid Kazimov -- Trend:
A budget of $19.4 billion has been set aside for improving Iran's gas distribution infrastructure, whereby it is hoped that by March, 2017, all cities and all villages with 20 or more households will be connected to the national gas distribution network.
These were statements made by Deputy CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company Alireza Qeravi in a provincial visit to North Khorasan , IRNA news agency reported September 2.
Qeravi said currently 22 million households in over 1000 cities and 18,000 villages use gas as household fuel. Also, 60,000 small industrial units use the national gas distribution network, he said.
According to Qeravi, 96 percent of people in urban areas as well as 61 percent of people in rural areas of Iran use the national gas distribution network.
Iran produced 172 million cubic meters of gas last Iranian calendar year (which ended March 20).
Iran is highly rich in gas reserves. The country has aimed at making gas count for 10 percent of its total exports.
Among many other gas fields, the South Pars is the most prominent in Iran. Iran 's part of the South Pars, the world's largest gas reserve, holds 13.3 trillion cubic meters of gas in place.
With full implementation of South Pars by 2018 or 2019 Iran's refined gas production capacity will increase by 110 bcm/a to 365 bcm/a.
Edited by CN