Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 26
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
In addition to existing contracts with the Iraqi energy ministry on importing 80 million cubic meters of Iran’s gas per day, the Arab country’s oil ministry is now in talks with Tehran to purchase more gas.
The Iraqi oil ministry is interested in replacing oil products with gas in the country’s power plants and industrial units, an Iranian trade official said.
Hamid Hosseini, the Iranian secretary-general of the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce, has said that the provincial authorities in Baghdad Province have already agreed to import gas from Iran, ISNA news agency reported.
However, the volume of the new contract is not clear, so far, he added.
Saying that the exports would take place through pipelines, he added that Iran’s gas pipeline has already been extended to Baghdad and another one is under construction to supply the country’s gas to Iraqi port city of Basra.
He added that the sides may increase the capacity of the existing pipelines or place new pipes to deliver more amount of gas.
According to the official, Iraqi oil ministry has launched a new round of talks to purchase Iran’s gas.
Iran had earlier concluded a separate deal with the energy ministry of Iraq to provide the Arab country’s power plants with 80 million cubic meters of gas per day.
The country’s initially signed the agreement in 2013 based on which the Islamic Republic would export natural gas to power stations around Baghdad through a 270-kilometer pipeline.
Iran has also signed another contract to export around 50 mcm/d of gas to Iraq’s southern port city of Basra.