Iran sees 65pc increase in gas refining capacity in 7 years

Tehran, Sept 23, IRNA – Iranian Gas refining capacity has reached 1.1 billion cubic meters a day compared to 670 million cubic meters a day seven years ago, it was announced on Wednesday. Gas refining capacity of Iran has witnessed 65 percent increase after seven years since the current Iranian government took office in August 2013. Although gas network development enhanced after the start of extraction of gas from South Pars gas field- the world’s largest gas field- about two decades ago, the process has been accelerated in the past seven years. South Pars gas field is shared with Qatar called North Dome by Qatar, is the world’s largest gas field with an area of 9,700 square kilometers. Now, over 98 percent of city's population and 82 of rural have joined gas network. Meanwhile, power plants in Iran have reduced use of liquid fuel from 43 to 10 percent. Daily national gas production in Iran is 880 million cubic meters, while the figure has been 635 million cubic meters seven years ago, so that it shows 38.5 percent increase in production. In a related development, Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hassan Montazer Torabi said on September 7 that Iranian gas exports has risen up by 88 percent increase in past seven years. In August, Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh said the value of petrochemical projects will rise to 25 billion dollars after opening 27 more projects with 17 billion dollars of investment by the end of the next Iranian year on March 20, 2022).