Press TV, Iran
June 3 2007

Iran-Armenia pipeline in progress
Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:37:27

Iran-Armenia gas transfer pipeline is to be completed by early 2008
Armenia’s national gas company has pledged to build the second and
final segment of a natural gas pipeline from Iran by the end of 2008.

Iranian Shana news agency quoted the Armenian daily Armenia Liberty
making the announcement.

The Iranian and Armenian presidents inaugurated the first
40-kilometer Armenian section of the pipeline stretching from the
Iranian border to Armenia’s southeastern town of Kajaran in March.

Armenian officials have said their country would be able to import
large volumes of Iranian gas only after the construction of the
pipeline’s second, much longer segment that would extend it from
Kajaran to the southern Ararat Valley.

The Arminfo news agency quoted chairman of the ArmRosGazprom (ARG)
operator Karen Karapetian, as saying that his company, which is
controlled by Russia’s Gazprom, has already begun work on the
197-kilometer segment and plans to finish it late 2008. He said ARG
would invest USD 149m in this stretch.

Armenia currently imports approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters of
Russian gas each year, which generates about 40 percent of national
electricity needs and serves as the main source of winter heating for
Armenian households.

Construction of the first 40 kilometer-long section of the pipeline
by Iranian experts began in November 2004.

The pipeline will transfer some 36 billion cubic meters of Iranian
gas to Armenia over the next 20 years.

The pipeline will transfer some 2.5 billion cubic meters of Iranian
gas to Armenia per annum once it is completed by early 2008.

A total of USD 33m has been spent on the project thus far.