Iran gas to reach Iraq next summer: Oil Ministry official

Iran Oil Ministry spokesman says the country will start exporting natural gas to Baghdad by next summer via an under-construction pipeline between the two countries.

Alireza Nikzad-Rahbar said on Wednesday that the “friendship” pipeline project between Iran, Iraq and Syria, is the most important project currently pursued by the ministry.

The official said if the project is carried out according to schedule, the gas pipeline between Iran and Iraq will be completed next summer, adding that tripartite talks are underway to extend the pipeline to Syria.

He noted that the pipeline would be designed in such a way that it would be able to deliver gas to other Muslim countries like Jordan and Lebanon in the future.

The 56-inch pipeline will start from Assaluyeh, near South Pars Gas Field in southern Iran, and will continue into the neighboring Iraq to feed three Iraqi power plants running on gas.

The South Pars Gas Field, which is shared with Qatar, holds about 14 trillion cubic meters of gas, or about eight percent of the total world reserves, and more than 18 billion barrels of liquefied natural gas resources.

Iran, which sits on the world’s second largest natural gas reserves after Russia, is making efforts to up its gas production by increasing foreign and domestic investments, especially in South Pars Gas Field.