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DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

The initiative was established following this huge network, the report said. become a steel and petrochemical production
the visit of King Mohammed VI to Nigeria in Also during the mentioned period, over hub given its emerging strategic importance,
December 2016. 193 cities with more than 641,000 households according to the FTZ director Abdulrahim
The principal aim is to allow Nigerian have also been connected to the national gas Kordi, as reported by Mehr news agency.
farmers to access high-quality fertilizer at network. Chabahar is one of seven designated
affordable prices to improve the agriculture Overall, about 98.4 percent of the country’s Iranian FTZs. India and Iran are jointly
industry. urban population is currently enjoying natural developing its Gulf of Oman port, along
NSIA and OCP Africa signed a second gas through the gas network while the figure with rail and road corridors running in and
agreement to create a Joint Venture Company stands at 84 percent for the rural population, out of it, as a nexus for trade routes linking
(JVC), which will be tasked to oversee the the report showed. from Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia
development of an industrial platform. According to the said data, the gas network to destinations, particularly India, across
MOROCCO WORLD NEWS coverage has increased by 3.5 percent for the Indian Ocean. Given its importance to
the urban population and the figure has also the economic development of conflict-torn
increased by more than 30 percent for rural Afghanistan, the development of Chabahar
PIPELINES areas since the Iranian calendar year 1392. enjoys a waiver from US sanctions.
In addition to the mentioned The FTZ in Chabahar would boast Iran’s
National gas network developments, the National Iranian Gas third petrochemicals hub and play a major
Company (NIGC) has also managed to
steelmaking role, Kordi added.
covers over 95% of Iran’s establish 31 pressure-boosting stations as and Baluchestan province, Chabahar is Iran’s
Located on the Makran Coast of the Sistan
well as 5,000 km of new pipelines across the
population country. southernmost city and has an area of 17,155
Currently, over 2,205 km of new gas
square kilometres.
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, pipelines are also under construction by It is bordered by Bampour, Rask and
in a report addressed to President Hassan NIGC subsidiaries all over the country. Sarbaz in the north, the Gulf of Oman in the
Rouhani, has stated that over 95 percent of Overall, more than 700 trillion rials south, Pakistan in the east and Jask and Minab
the country’s population is currently enjoying (about $16.6 billion) has been invested in the ports in the west.
natural gas through the country’s huge mentioned development projects. Not far across the Pakistani border is the
national network. Also, the Iranian oil and gas industry has port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. China
As reported by Shana, in the mentioned managed to produce more than 58 billion and Pakistan are developing Gwadar as a rival
report on the development of the country’s liters of liquid products valued at over $25 port to Chabahar that can also be utilised as
gas industry during the 11th and 12th billion since the beginning of the Iranian an export-import facilitator by Central Asian
governments, Zanganeh has stated that the gas calendar year 1393 (March 2014), leading to countries.
production from the giant South Pars gas field an increase of 300-percent in the exports of oil BNE
which Iran shares with Qatar in the Persian products.
Gulf has increased 2.5 times since the Iranian The increase in the country’s gas Eni restarts Damietta LNG
calendar year of 1392 (ended on March 20, production has also resulted in a 23-percent
2014) when the 11th government took office. decrease in the liquid fuel consumption by plant in Egypt
According to the Oil Minister, the coverage the country’s power plants, leading to less air
of the national gas network in rural areas has pollution and more environmental protection. Italy’s Eni announced this week that the first
also doubled over the mentioned period to TEHRAN TIMES cargo since 2012 from the Damietta LNG
reach 84 percent. plant in Egypt had been produced and lifted.
Based on the data presented in Zanganeh’s This comes after Eni signed agreements
report, from the Iranian calendar year 1392 TERMINALS & SHIPPING with the Egyptian government, Egyptian
up to the current calendar year’s 11th month General Petroleum Corp. (EGPC), the
(started on January 20) over 20,000 rural Chabahar FTZ to become Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co. (EGAS)
areas with a total population of 1.76 million and Spain’s Naturgy at the end of 2020, paving
households have been supplied with natural petchem hub the way for the restart. The agreements
gas through the national gas network. led to the settlement of a long-running
Currently, more than 34,000 villages across Chabahar Free Trade Zone (FTZ), with Iran’s dispute between Eni, Naturgy and Egyptian
the country are enjoying natural gas through sole oceanic port of Chabahar at its heart, will partners. Under the arrangement, Naturgy

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