IRAN STARTS GAS EXPORTS TO ARMENIA

Fars News Agency
May 12 2009
Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Export
Company (NIGEC) Seyed Reza Kassaeizadeh traveled to Armenia on Monday
to take part in a ceremony on the inauguration of Iran’s gas export
to the country.

Noting that the volume of gas exports could reach 4 million cubic
meters (141.3 million cu-ft) per day in 2011 and rise to 6.3 million
cubic meters (222.5 million cu-ft) per day afterwards, Kassaeizadeh
reiterated that the gas is being transported via a 762-mm (30-inch)
diameter pipeline that runs for 113 km (71 miles) from Tabriz in East
Azarbaijan Province to the Iran-Armenia border.

He also told Tehran times in an interview that the gas was due to
be exported to Armenia in 2007 but the distribution problems on the
Armenian side caused the delay.

Iran and Armenia signed a contract according to which the latter is
to pay for the gas by electricity from Armenian power plants.

The announcement comes a month after a two-day visit to Iran by
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian.

During his stay in Tehran, eight agreements were inked between
the two sides that underlined Iran and Armenia’s commitments to
further developing their relations through additional significant
infrastructure, transport, and energy projects.