Iran plans to begin supplying Turkey with natural gas as of next month, an Iranian oil official said on Saturday.
The construction of 255 kilometers of 40 inch pipeline from Tabriz to Bazargan border point has been finished and the export of gas through the pipeline will begin as of next month, said the managing director of Iran's National Gas
Co., Hamdollah Mohammad Nejad.
Speaking to reporters, he said Turkey had laid a 1,490 kilometer pipeline from the Iranian border to Ankara.
According to the contract signed by the two countries, transfer of gas from Iran to Turkey will start from this July 30, he said.
Iran and Turkey signed a $20 billion contract in 1996 which is regarded as the biggest contract for sale of Iranian natural gas.
"There are four pumping stations to boost gas pressure in the cities of Tabriz, Sarab, Ardebil and Astara and we are now constructing a 48 inch pipeline to enhance our export capacity to Turkey," he said.
Some three billion cubic meters of gas are to be exported to Turkey in the first year (9 million cubic meters per day) which is to increased to 10 billion cubic meters by 2007 – Albawaba.com
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