March 2003 / No. 22

Oil & Gas

Iran is negotiating the final stages of a 25-year agreement for exporting 15 million cubic meters of natural gas a day to Kuwait via sub sea pipelines. This agreement follows the commencement operation of some of South Pars’ phases, which will supply most of the exported gas. Mohammad Mallaki, Deputy Minister of Oil and Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) and, told of gas export negotiations with some EU members as well as other countries –such as Greece and Bulgaria– and even gas transit through Turkey but stated that none have yet reached a serious level. He also highlighted the construction (by 2005) of two 56-inch pipelines stretching through Iran’s east, west and center, which will be added to the country’s five existing pipelines –bringing their total to 18,000 kilometers.