DOES ARMENIA NEED TO IMPORT GAS FROM IRAN?
Hasmik Dilanyan

"Radiolur"
12.01.2009 15:33

It has been several days that the Gas and Transport Company of Georgia
has halted gas supplies to Armenia because of pipeline break. However,
our country feels no shortage of gas reserves, Head of the Public
Relations Department of "HayRusGazard" Company Shushan Sargsaryan told
"Radiolur." The Ministry of Energy informs that the reconstruction
works have already been completed. Does Armenia have an alternative
of importing gas from Iran?

Theoretically, the Armenia-Iran gas pipeline was completed 1.5
months ago.

It wasconstructed as a alternative route for importing gas from
Iran. In the morning of January 9 the Gas and Transport Company
of Georgia officially declared that the gas supply to Armenia was
temporarily halted because of reconstruction works on Gazakh-Sagoramo
segment of the pipeline. Is this a situation when Armenia should
apply to the alternative route and import gas from Iran?

Press Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources
Lusine Harutyunyan said the gas pipeline is ready but we do not
need to import gas from Iran today. "The works are carried out
round-the-clock and Georgian partners assure that the reconstruction
will be completed tonight or tomorrow, and Georgian gas will flow
to the republic. Armenian specialists are now in Georgia," Shushan
Sargsaryan said.

Today Armenia consumes 8.5-9 million cubic meters of gas per day and
"HayRusGazard" is able to ensure the necessary volume.

"HayRusGazard" assures that the break will be fixed by tomorrow and
the supply of gas will resume. The Ministry of Energy and Natural
Resources states that the reconstruction has already been completed
and the gas supply to Armenia will be resumed tonight.