Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Hamid-Reza Araqi said on Tuesday that Iran is negotiating with foreign companies for commissioning five Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) projects to raise exports.
Araqi told the meeting of the International Gas Union, which happened on the sidelines of GECF Summit in Tehran on November 23rd, that Iranian gas refineries now have the capacity to process 260 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas per year.
He said 36,000 kms of main gas pipelines and 273,000 kms of gas distribution networks have been laid down in the country.
The Deputy Oil Minister for Gas Affairs said the share of gas in the country’s energy basket is now 60 percent.
Thus far, 1,000 cities and 18,500 villages have been supplied with gas and there are about 22 million natural gas subscribers for household consumption.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Araqi said Iran’s annual gas refinery capacity will reach 330 bcm by 2017.
He said presently Iran imports gas from Turkmenistan and exports it to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia
