Iranian Official: Jordan, Lebanon Can Import Iran’s Gas Soon

The construction of Iran’s 270-kilometer gas pipeline to Iraq has started and is making rapid progress, an Iranian energy official said, adding that upon completion of the pipeline Iraq’s neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon, will likely supply their gas needs through the pipeline as well.

“Jordan and Lebanon can also utilize this pipeline and supply their needed gas,” Iranian Oil Ministry Spokesman Alireza Nikzad Rahbar said at a press conference in Tehran on Wednesday.

He noted that the project for transfer of Iran’s gas to Iraq is forcefully advancing.

Last month, Head of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Javad Oji announced that Iranian contractors have been commissioned to begin construction of Iran-Iraq gas pipeline in 2013.

The 42-inch pipeline is slated to export Iran’s gas to Iraq’s al-Mansoureh power plant and Baghdad via Ilam border in Western Iran.

The pipeline will take Iran’s gas from the country’s South gas field phases in Southern Iran to the power plant in Iraq.

Iran is currently producing 300 million cubic meters per day of gas from South Pars.

Earlier in November, an Iranian deputy oil minister said a sum of 80 billion dollars will be invested in the development and completion of South Pars gas field phases.

The South Pars gas field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers, i.e. the North Dome, are in Qatar’s territorial waters.

The South Pars gas field holds 8 percent of total gas reserves of the world and half of the country’s proven gas reserves as well as is the host of the most important industrial complexes of the country and the most important part of oil industry’s value chain.

Last month, Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi declared that his ministry will soon strike gas deals with different countries, and added that Iran’s gas output will increase to 1.4bln cubic meters per day (cmpd) in the near future.