Tehran and Baku mulling joint gas exports

Baku. 10 August. REPORT.AZ/ Iran says it is discussing joint exports of natural gas to international markets with Azerbaijan in a sign that Tehran may have already revived plans to pipe gas to Europe, REPORT informs citing Iranian PressTV.

Alireza Kameli, the managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), says his company has already started serious talks to the same effect with the Azeri state oil company SOCAR.

“Tehran and Baku have conducted negotiations over joint investments in gas export projects,” Kameli has been quoted by Iran’s media as saying.

“This is simultaneous with Iran’s plans to expedite natural gas production over the next three years,” he added.

Iran’s huge natural gas reserves had for years made it a prime source for supplying future exports to Europe.

Accordingly, separate discussions were started with the country by a consortium named Nabucco as well as the Swiss EGL. However, the complications that later emerged – specifically the US-engineered sanctions – made both sideline Iran from their plans to pipe gas to Europe.

The prospects that sanctions could be eventually removed in light of the recent diplomatic progress over the Iranian nuclear energy program once again put Iran in focus.

Nevertheless, a more serious plan now appears to involve Azerbaijan.

Mustafayev told Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh during his visit to Tehran last Tuesday that Iran can use Azerbaijan's infrastructure to export oil and gas to world markets.