Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 22
By Dalga Khatinoglu – Trend:
Iran’s commercial gas output increased by 38 percent to 90.9 billion cubic meters (bcm) during 5 months of current fiscal year, compared to the same period 3 years ago when Hassan Rouhani took office.
Iran’s fiscal year starts on March 21.
According to an official document prepared by Oil Ministry and seen by Trend, the country’s refined gas volume also increased from 61.5 bcm to 78.4 bcm during the mentioned period, which indicates a 27-percent growth.
Iran produced 137 bcm (or 737 million cubic meters per day) of raw gas, including the re-injection and flaring during the first half of current fiscal year. The figure for last year was 718.7 mcm/d or (262 bcm).
For current fiscal year (FY), Iran plans to increase both output and consumption by commencing new five phases of the South Pars gas field, which would add 100 mcm/d to the output capacity.
The document says that Iran increased gas deliveries to power plants by 61 percent to 31.6 bcm during five months of current FY as compared to the same period in 2013.
During the mentioned period, gas deliveries to housing and industrial sectors also increased by 8 percent and 10 percent to 25.4 bcm and 15 bcm, respectively.
During Rouhani’s presidency, the gas grid extended adding 94 cities and 6,251 villages to the network.
During this period, about 3.66 million new households were supplied with gas. Currently, about 97 percent of urban and 70 percent of rural households are connected to the gas grid.
Iran produces about 400 mcm/d of gas from South Pars, which is projected to double when the 24 phases of the field become operational.
Iran’s daily gas production from this field, which shares a half of the country’s total reserves, increased by about 39.7 mcm/d during five months of current FY, compared to the same periods of last year and 2013, the report says.
Iran plans to add 100 mcm/d to the nominal output capacity of South Pars during the current FY to reach about 520 mcm/d.