Page 6 - MEOG Week 35 2022

MEOG PIPELINES & TRANSPORT MEOG

Iran and Russia to sign gas

purchase and swap deal

IRAN IRAN and Russia will soon sign a gas purchase last year.
and swap deal, according to Iranian Oil Minis- “An 11% increase in gas exports to Turkey
ter Javad Owji, as cited by official Iranian energy and the continuation of negotiations to increase
news agency Shana on August 26. exports [to Turkey], the collection of around
“The negotiations for the purchase and swap $1.6bn of Iran’s gas dues from Iraq and, among
of gas in relation to Russia have been finalised other moves, a 138% increase in gas swaps have
and [the contract] will be signed in the near promoted the energy diplomacy of the 13th gov-
future in Moscow by the National Iranian Gas ernment [of the Islamic Republic],” Chegeni was
Company [NIGC] and the Russian side,” Owji quoted as saying.
was quoted as saying, following an August 24 Iran’s natural gas refining capacity has
meeting in Tehran with Igor Yevgenyevich Levi- reached 1.03bn cubic metres in the past 12
tin, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin. months, while 530 km of new gas pipelines have
Negotiations were also held on petroleum been laid to transfer fuel to seven power plants,
product swaps, Owji added. he added.
The minister also stated that in the petro- Already operating the largest natural gas
chemical sector, Iran has signed some contracts network in West Asia, NIGC says it continues to
for the export of products and catalysts to Russia. expand it to the country’s most remote areas and
Russian companies, he also noted, would that presently more than 95% of the Iranian pop-
be working on improving the recovery factor ulation of around 85mn people enjoy natural gas
of Iran’s giant South Pars gas field. In terms of via the network, which extends to over 36,000
increasing the pressure of gas fields, “the Rus- kilometres.
sians have good capabilities,” said Owji. According to NIGC data, Iran produces more
Separately, Majid Chegeni, managing direc- than 810mn cubic metres (mcm) of natural gas
tor of NIGC, divulged some statistics on Iran’s per day. It is mostly used domestically, with rela-
gas industry performance while speaking dur- tively small amounts exported to neighbouring
ing the inauguration of several gas projects on countries including Iraq and Turkey.
the occasion of Iran’s Government Week, IRNA Iran has the second largest natural gas
reported on August 28. reserves in the world, behind those of Russia.
Chegeni was reported as saying that the New discoveries, when confirmed, could see
country’s gas revenues were up 64% since the Iran take the number one spot in years ahead,
new government took office in Iran in August say analysts.™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 35 31•August•2022