Tehran, Iran, Jan. 11
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran currently imports 15-20 million cubic meters of gas per day from Turkmenistan.
Iran's Fars News Agency reported that the figure is less than a half of the amount agreed in the contract signed between the two countries.
Sitting on the world's biggest natural gas reserves, the Iranian government requested Turkmenistan in November to increase gas delivery to Iran by 6 million cubic meters per day (mcmpd) to 30 mcmpd to avoid gas shortage in the cold months.
Deputy Director of National Iranian Gas Company Gholam-Hossein Samari said in September that Iran can file a formal complaint against Turkmenistan over a gas deal signed between the two countries.
"Based on the signed contract, Turkmenistan is obliged to export 40 million cubic meters of gas per day to Iran. It is while Ashgabat currently exports a little more than 23 million cubic meters of gas per day to Tehran," he added.
Mohammad-Taqi Amanpour, advisor to the Iranian oil minister, said in August 2014 that Iran has recently purchased €2 billion worth of natural gas from Turkmenistan.
Iranian Oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said in May 2014 that Iran is willing to pave the way for exporting goods to Turkmenistan in return for importing natural gas from that country.
Iran gets Turkmen gas via several branches. The Korpeje - Kurt-Kui gas pipeline, commissioned in December 1995, is the main one. Its capacity was brought to eight billion cubic meters per year with the potential of increasing the capacity to 14 billion cubic meters. The Iranian National Gas Export Company acts as a gas buyer.
Iran's dried gas output is about 160 bcm, a little more than a domestic consumption level, according to BP's latest yearly report.
Iran exported 7.5 bcm of gas to Turkey and imported 4.5 bcm of gas from Turkmenistan in 2012, according to BP's report.