NIGC managing director Hamidreza Araqi
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Managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hamidreza Araqi told the International Gas Union’s (IGU) natural gas utilisation committee meeting in Tehran today that Iran plans to build five new LNG plants as part of a plant for a substantial increase in Iranian gas exports, according to a statement on the website of Iran’s Oil Ministry.
Yesterday, President Rouhani told the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GCEF) yesterday that Iran plans to increase gas production by two-thirds to 1bn cubic metres a day (cmd) in two years.
Araqi also said negotiations are underway for exports of natural gas to five neighboring countries.
At present, Iran exports gas to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey and will start natural gas exports to Iraq in 2016.
Araqi said that Iran’s first LNG project at Tombak port on the Gulf coast is 60 per cent complete. It calls for the construction of two lines with total capacity of 5.5m tonnes a year. The project started in 2007 but has been delayed due to international sanctions.
Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told a press conference in Tehran on 17 November that his ministry is planning to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe rather than pumping gas via pipelines.