BOTAS: Gas supplies from Iran to Turkiye down 70%

Natural gas supplies to Turkiye through the Gurbulak-Agri point have decreased by 70% as of January 1, 2023, due to a malfunction in the Iranian gas transmission system, Turkish pipeline operator BOTAS said in a statement, according to Report.

An announcement on the BOTAS website indicates that negotiations are ongoing to fix the problem at short notice.

"Our Iranian colleagues have taken the necessary measures to eliminate the malfunction in a short time, and the problem is being carefully monitored. All necessary precautions have been taken during this winter period in order to avoid adverse effects on the consumption of natural gas in the country, and our additional needs for gas are met at the expense of our gas storage facilities," BOTAS said in a statement.

Gas supplies to Turkiye were suspended for 10 days in January last year, due to technical problems in the gas transportation system on the Iranian side.

Iran supplies Turkiye with an average of 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year through the Tengiz-Ankara gas pipeline. According to the data, the share of Iranian gas in Turkiye's energy balance in 2021 was about 16%.

In October 2022, Iran and Turkiye reached a series of new gas export agreements. According to the agreement, a further increase in Iranian gas supplies will be possible through the development of existing production capacities.