Iran gas exports climb by 10.5 percent

A senior Iranian gas official says the country has exported some 7.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas since the beginning of the current calendar year (starting March 21, 2011), marking a 10.5-percent growth compared to the same period last year. Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company Javad Owji said on Tuesday that nearly nine billion cubic meters of natural gas were also imported during the same period, up 35 percent in comparison with the preceding year. He noted that the country's average daily gas production amounted to 620 million cubic meters. Iran sits on the world's second largest natural gas reserves after Russia, and is trying to grow its gas production by increasing foreign and domestic investments, especially in its South Pars gas field. The field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in the Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.

"A senior Iranian gas official says the country has exported some 7.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas since the beginning of the current calendar year (starting March 21, 2011), marking a 10.5-percent growth compared to the same period last year"The remaining 6,000 square kilometers, North Dome, are in Qatar's territorial waters. The Iranian gas field has 14 trillion cubic meters of natural gas (about eight percent of the world's reserves) and more than 18 billion barrels worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) resources