In a press conference, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Javad Oji told the reporters that two Memorandum of understandings worth of 3 billion euros have been signed with the Bank Saderat Iran to build one ethane unit at Parsian gas processing plant and another one in order to completion of the BIdboland 2 gas processing plant. Based on the deals the bank would provide 70 percent of the credits while the remaining would be met by NIGC.
Predicting the cost of NIOC's projects over the next Iranian calendar year 6/8 billion dollars; Mr. Oji said: construction of the ninth gas trunk line, development of Ilam, Jam and Parsian gas processing plants and construction of the remaining part of the second Turkmenistan gas pipline are among the NIGC's most important projects in the coming year.
Elsewhere in his remarks engineering Oji said two contracts had been signed with domestic companies in order to complete sixth Tehran gas pipeline with a length of 650 km and development of Ilam gas processing plant, saying the two projects would be implemented over the next year.
Noting that in the last Iranian calendar year 921.724 new subscribers have been added to gas users' network, NIGC's managing director pointed out that number of subscribers rose 1.036.ooo over the current year (ending on 20 March 2010) that shows a 7.5 percent increase in the subscribers number in comparison with the previous year.
He remarked that without doubt gas prices would rise in the next year starting on 21 March. He did not reveal the figure but predicted the rises would lead to 25 percent drop in natural gas consumption.