The pipeline to carry Iran’s gas to Oman will be operational by the end of 2017, said Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) Alireza Kameli.
In an interview with Shana following the visit of Omani oil and gas minister to Tehran on Monday, Kameli said in the meeting between Iranian Minister of Petorleum Bijan Zangeneh and Omani Minister Mohmmed bin Hamad Al Rumhi, it was suggested that Iranian and Omani firms cooperate in construction of the gasline.
On Sunday, Iran and Oman signed the contracts with the domestic consultant firms to study constructing the pipeline to carry gas to Oman.
The project includes laying the 400-kilometer land-sea pipeline from Iran to Oman. According to initial available data, the land part of the gas pipeline extends for 200 kilometers from Rudan to Mobarak Mount in southern Hormozgan Province. The seabed section between Iran and Sohar Port in Oman will stretch for another 200 kilometers.
About five months will be allocated for sea section and six months for the land portion, Kameli added, and between 18 to 30 months has been also estimated for final launching of the project.
“This is the set target and both countries will try to bring it down to the shortest possible time,” he said.
In the ministerial meeting on Monday, both sides exchanged views on cooperation in sales of oil and petrochemical products as well as ways of construction of the pipeline to carry Iran’s gas to the Sultanate, Zangeneh said.
The gasline project topped the agenda of bilateral talks which both sides stressed expediting its operation. “The study on the project has started and we discussed ways of financing methods,” he added.
In 2013, Iran and Oman agreed to construct the pipeline which for 15 years will carry 28 million cubic meters of gas across Persian Gulf to the Omani port.