GAZPROM COMPANY RUSSIAN SPECIALISTS ARRIVED IN YEREVAN

07.04.2005 07:27

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Gazprom company Russian specialists have arrived in
Yerevan to study the Armenian part of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
route. In the words of Gazprom Deputy head Alexander Ryazanov, a
capital of $140 million is necessary to realize the Armenian part of
the project in question, Regnum news agency reported. Three parties
will take part in the pipeline building – Iran, the Armenian Government
and Russia represented by RAO UES of Russia. ArmRosgazprom has already
set about the building of Meghri-Kajaran segment. According to
the basic Armenian-Iranian agreement, the gas pipeline will be put
into operation January 1, 2007. Within the following 20 years Iran
will provide 36 billion cubic meters of gas to Armenia. The blue
fuel will be processed here into electric power, which is subject to
export back to Iran. Sanir Iranian company is the project contractor,
while ArmRosgazprom is the sub-contractor (Gazprom and the Armenian
Government hold 45% of the company shares each and Itera group of
companies possess the remaining 10%). The project is estimated to
cost $200-250 million, $30 million out of it being the cost of the
first part of the Armenian segment of the pipeline making 41km – from
Meghri town near the Iranian border to Kajaran – are already provided
by the Export and Development Bank of Iran. Realization of that stage
will allow Armenia receiving 1.5 million cubic meters of gas daily.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress