Iran ready to export natural gas to India, Europe: officials

After India left the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project, a consortium of Indian companies headed by South Asia Gas Enterprise expressed willingness to import Iran’s natural gas, Director General of National Iranian Gas Export Company Alireza Kameli reportedly said.

He went on to say that the company is waiting for the termination of anti-Iran sanctions to fund the construction of a 3,000 km underwater deep-sea pipeline.

The history of border conflicts between India and Pakistan made the Indian side opt for using a totally independent pipeline for importing gas from Iran, Kameli added.

Talk of an India-Iran-Oman energy triangle, whereby an under-sea natural gas pipeline would connect Oman and India, has existed for years, the news agency reports.

As India’s economy grows, imported gas will play an important role in bridging the demand-supply gap in the market.

Meanwhile, the news agency also reports that Iran has started talks to export natural gas to Europe.

Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Seyed Mohammad Hossein Adeli reportedly said Iran could partially meet the growing EU energy demands both through pipeline supplies and liquefied natural gas deliveries.

Adeli said the demand for natural gas in Europe is set to increase after 2020, with European gas imports to double by 2040.

His remarks came one day after Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia said international sanctions imposed on Iran’s oil and gas sector are expected to be lifted in October or November, Tasnim reports.

According to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, overall natural gas proved reserves at the end of 2014 stood at 34 Tcm in Iran, giving it the first rank in the world above Russia.

Oil and gas talks between Tehran and the EU are coming as part of a new wave of renewed interest in Iran after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (comprising Russia, China, the US, Britain, France, and Germany) recently reached an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and the six powers would terminate all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran after coming into force.

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