Iran to triple its natural gas export to Armenia

By Asbarez | Friday, 29 July 2016

Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Zanganeh says the country plans to triple its export of natural gas to Armenia by 2019. (Source: PressTV)

Iran’s Petroleum Minister Bijan Zanganeh says the country plans to triple its export of natural gas to Armenia by 2019. (Source: PressTV)

YEREVAN (Arka)—Iran is going to build up its natural gas supply to Armenia from 1 million cubic meters a day to 3 million cubic meters in the next few years, PressTV reported.

“Iran will do it at Yerevan’s request,” Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh said to Levon Yolyan, Armenian Energy Minister, after their meeting in Tehran.

Zangeneh said that Iran will increase its gas export to Armenia before 2019.

He added that Iran has already increased the export to 3.5 million cubic meters per day, since Russian natural gas supply to Armenia through Georgia’s territory ceased temporarily. Iran’s supply will return to its previous volume, 1 million cubic meters per day, in 40 days after Russia resumes supplying its gas to Armenia.

Russia ceased supply of natural gas to Armenia on July 10 because of the need to repair some sections of the core pipeline in Georgia and is expected to resume transmission on August 10.

Zangeneh also said that Iran sealed a basic agreement with Georgia to send its gas to Georgia through Armenia’s territory.

He said Iran is planning to carry out a pilot testing of the supply in the next few months.

“Transit of gas to Georgia through Armenia will be carried out through a new organization which has been established by Iran and Armenia,” he said. “The same organization will be in charge of all the issues relating to Iranian gas export to Armenia and also transit of the gas to other regional markets through Armenia.”

According to Armenia’s customs service, in 2015, Armenia imported 2,626.1 million cubic meters of natural gas worth $514.31 million, while in 2014 only 2,493.1 million cubic meters worth $499 million were imported (5.3% and 3% growth) – 383.1 million cubic meters worth $72.4 million (against 365.9 million in 2014) from Iran and 2,160.1 million cubic meters worth $426.3 million from Russia (82.2% of Armenia’s gas import).


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