Tehran, Iran, Jan. 5
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran will inaugurate Polkaleh gas pressure booster station located on the fourth cross-country gas network, by March 20.
The facility is now 91 percent complete, Iran's SHANA News Agency reported Jan. 5.
The station is expected to come on stream at the cost of 4 trillion rials (some $125 million based on the exchange rate of US dollar at the free market).
Once the facility comes on stream, Iran's gas transfer capacity will increase by 100 million cubic meters per day.
Each gas pressure booster station increases the pipeline's transfer capacity by 40 percent.
Houshang Taheri, an official with the National Iranian Gas Company, predicted on Nov. 2 that the number of subscribers to the national network has increased by 8 percent compared to the same period previous year.
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh previously said on Jan. 3 that the country's gas output capacity will be increased by 100 million cubic meters in the current Iranian calendar year.
"Some of the projects have already come on stream, and the rest will be inaugurated as planned," he said.
Zangneh said on Nov. 21, 2014 that some 44 billion cubic meters of gas will be added to the country's total output in the next Iranian calendar year (to start March 21, 2015).
The minister went on to note that Iran's gas consumption in the current year is 100 million cubic meters more than previous year.
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.
Edited by CN