Iran gas delivery to Iraq delayed again over insecurity

Iran’s planned gas delivery to Iraq has been delayed again due to prevailing insecurity in its western neighbor where Takfiri Daesh terrorists are wreaking havoc.

Azizollah Ramezani, the director for international affairs of National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC), said Iran’s gas is unlikely to be pumped to Iraq on schedule this year.

“Most probably Iran’s gas will be delivered to Iraq during the first quarter of the [calendar] year 1395 (starting March 2017) and Iran is waiting for Iraq to get ready to receive the gas,” he said.

“Iran is fully ready to export gas to this country,” Ramezani added.

Iran’s gas exports to Iraq have been delayed time and again due to unsafe conditions in the war-wracked country.

The two countries signed a basic agreement for the export of natural gas from Iran’s South Pars gas field to Iraq back in 2013.

Based on the agreement, Iran will start exporting 25 million cubic meters (mcm) a day of gas to Sadr, Baghdad and al-Mansouryah power plants through the 270-kilometer pipeline. The amount will increase to 35 mcm/d during hot seasons.

Iran sits atop the second largest gas reserves in the world, just behind Russia.

The country is already exporting gas to Turkey and plans to broaden its gas exports to regional countries and then to Europe.

Iran holds more than 18% of the world’s gas reserves and 5% of global production.

Iran is currently in talks with regional countries like Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It hopes that these talks will reach good results after sanctions are lifted. Talks have also been held with India for the construction of a 1,300-kilometer long subsea pipeline by an Indian company. Negotiations are also to start soon with gas buyers in India.