PIPELINE BLAST HALTS IRAN GAS EXPORT TO ARMENIA

Tehran Times
Nov 12 2009
Iran

TEHRAN – Iran’s gas exports to Armenia was temporarily interrupted
Wednesday due to an explosion which took place in the Armenian section
of the conveyance pipeline.

On Wednesday morning the Armenian officials informed Iran that an
explosion has occurred at some segment of the Iran-Armenia pipeline
which lies inside Armenian border, according to SHANA news agency.

Iran will resume gas export to Armenia as soon as the Armenians repair
the pipeline.

Iran started the exportation of natural gas to Armenia in May.

According to the deal signed in May 2004, Armenia will pay for the
gas with electricity it produces at a Soviet-era nuclear power plant.

Based on the agreement, Iran is supposed to transfer three million
cubic meters of gas per day to Armenia by the end of 2010, and from
the beginning of 2011 raise this volume up to four million cubic
meters per day.

The volume of gas exports could gradually rise to 6.3 million cubic
meters per day.

In exchange, Armenia will transfer three kilowatt/hours of electricity
for each cubic meter of the Iranian gas.

The Iran-Armenia pipeline has a diameter of 30 inches and runs for 113
kilometers from Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province to the Iran-Armenia
border.

The two countries had originally agreed to finalize the project in
January 2007, but the Armenians later said they were not ready

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress