In an exclusive interview with Shana news service, Asghar Sohilipour said upgrading Iran-Azerbaijan gas pipeline and a gas compressor in Azerbaijan Republic is in its final stage, adding the ground has been provided to boost import and swap gas to 2.5 million cubic meters a day in the first phase and to 5 million cubic meters in the second phase.
Reminding that Iran imports currently one million cubic meters of gas per day from the republic and swap it with Nakhjavan, he said: unique geographical position of Iran also provides the possibility to transfer central Asian land locked countries oil and gas to open seas.
On gas swap with Turkmenistan, engineer Sohilipour said: Iran is prepared to receive gas from the neighboring country and to transfer it to its customers in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea region.
Meanwhile “Oil and Gas Eurasian” reported on 21 August that The Azerbaijan state oil and gas company (SOCAR) is prepared to raise gas exports to Iran as of 15 September.
The report says that the Azerbaijan state oil and gas company (SOCAR), headed by its president Rovnag Abdullayev have inspected gas transport infrastructure in the Astarinskiy district which handle gas exports to Iran.
According to the company, modernization of the Astarinskiy gas compressor station, which is to be completed by September 15, will raise operating atmospheric pressure from 50 to 75, thus allowing SOCAR to increase daily gas exports to Iran by 5 million cubic meters.
Earlier, Abdullayev said the infrastructure for increasing gas exports to Iran would be ready by October, while negotiations would begin in September with the Iranian company NIGEC on a long-term gas supply contract.
"We need to have the infrastructure ready in Azerbaijan, since we are entering a long-term gas supply contract with Iran which will envision fines for failing to adhere to the conditions of the contract, including delays", Abdullayev said.