Javad Oji said gas imports averaged 20/5 million cubic meters per day last year. He remarked that total gas imports in the Iranian calendar year 1387 (started on 21 March 2008) stood at 6/5 billion cubic meters, while it has been reduced to 4/8 billion cubic meters in 1388 (started on 21 Mrarch 2009).
NIGC managing director stipulated that by full exploitation from the second gas pipeline, annual capacity of gas imports from Turkmenistan would raise from eight to fourteen billion cubic meters.
Defending gas imports from the commercial aspect, Oji noted that for a country injecting 530 million meters of gas a day to its gas pipeline network, importing 10 to 12 million cubic meters of gas per day is not considerable.
With regard to exporting gas, NIGC managing director said: Iran's gas exports increased this year (1389) by 35 percent. He noted that while gas exports to Turkey were 13/2 million cubic meters per day last year, it has stood at 30 million cubic meters per day, the ceiling stipulated in the bilateral contract, this year.
Mr.Oji concluded in the first half of Bahman (started on 21 January) gas exports to Turkey hiked by 134 percent in comparison with corresponding period last year.