In an exclusive interview with Shana news service, Mostafa Kashkouli, deputy managing director of NIGC said: India is interested in a secure market to meet its gas needs and Iran, as the country holding huge gas reserves and committed to its contracts, could be a reliable source to meet India’s gas needs.
Noting that current share of Iran in global gas trade is about 1 percent, the official stated we can draw a bright outlook for future gas trade regarding coming into stream new phases of the South Pars gas field in next years, phasing out subsidies, more gas imports from Turkmenistan following concluding a new contract with the country, gas export to Turkey and construction of the IGAT-6 to transit gas to Europe through Turkey territory in next three years.
The official stipulated that contractual gas export to Turkey stands at 30 million cubic meters per day at present and by the construction of the IGAT-6, that its contract has been signed recently, it is possible to transit 60 million cubic meters of gas through the line.
Noting that by inauguration of IGAT-7, Iranshahr city in the province of Sistan o Balochestan has benefited from gas supply, Mr. Kashkouli said: the trunk line is scheduled to extended to Chabahar city and then to Pakistan border.
On whether India is willing to receive gas from Iran, Kashkouli noted that no gas pipeline is constructed yet, but after reaching Iran’s gas to Pakistan border in 2014, the situation would be different because gas is available and India can decide about joining the process.
Last week, during the inauguration ceremony of the IGAT-7, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company, Javad Oji, said up to now 907 kilometers of the IGAT-7 have been constructed. The trunk line has reached Iranshahr in Sistan o Baloshestan by crossing the provinces of Boshehr, Fars, Hormozgan and Kerman.
Mr. Oji concluded that by completion the trunk line, 21.5 million cubic meters of gas would be exported to Pakistan as of the year 2014.