Iran to double gas output by 2017

Iran is planning to double its natural gas production by 2017, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company, Hamidreza Araqi said.

Iran aims to double production of the gas to 1 billion cubic meters per day by 2017, largely on output from the South Pars field.

“Iran produces as much as 550 million cubic meters (MMcm) of gas per day, and work on four phases of South Pars gas field will add 100 million cubic meters of gas per day to the country’s output by March,” he stated.

Araqi added that Iran’s daily gas output will increase to 680 MMcm in winter, up from 550 MMcm.

Iran exports 30 million cubic meters of gas per day, mostly to Turkey, and has signed an agreement to start supplying power plants in neighboring Iraq, he said.

“Right now we only have a contract to supply Baghdad,” Araqi said, adding, “We will be ready to export gas if they can be ready to receive it from us. If they can’t, then we can use it for our own supply needs.”

Iran also has a contract with neighboring Pakistan to supply that country with 21.5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day. The project has been on hold as Pakistan has failed to build its section of a shared pipeline because of a lack of funds.

Press Release; Image: POGC