NIGEC managing director has announced the preliminary agreement with Georgia on gas exports.
Head of National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) Alireza Kameli described Iran’s new plans to export gas to the countries in the Caucasus region; “on the basis of the negotiations with Georgia, it was agreed that the gas will be transferred to the border of Armenia where it will be delivered to Georgia,” he asserted.
Kameli further pointed out the new gas export projects adding “several talks have been made with Georgia on gas exports while the signing of a contract is subject to being economically justifiable.”
On the possibility of exporting gas to Europe via Georgia, the official highlighted “the plan to export gas to Europe through pipelines has been rejected and exports in the form of LNG shipments will remain as top priority for the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).”
Kameli reiterated that the negotiations with Georgia merely focus on gas exports for domestic consumption and not for transfer of Iranian gas to Europe; “the volume of exports to Georgia will reach 300 to 500 million cubic meters per day which will be consumed by Georgian power plants.”
The Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze has recently announced the possibility for his country to buy Iran’s natural gas adding “not possessing any other alternatives, Georgia would be able to buy Iran’s gas through Azerbaijan or Armenia which marks a long-term project demanding careful planning.”