Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister for International and Trade Affairs Ali Majedi stated that European countries can import Iran’s gas through three separate routes.
He described a pipeline meant to transfer natural gas from Iran to Europe through Turkish soil as the most viable option, adding that the second pipeline project could be a route that crosses several countries, including Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, to transport Iran’s gas to Europe.
Majedi also stated that the third route would be a pipeline that runs through Armenia, Georgia and under the Black Sea.
The Iranian deputy oil minister stated that the level of Iran’s natural gas exports to Europe would vary from 4 million cubic meters (mcm) per day to 50, declining to provide an exact figure.
On May 3, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the Islamic Republic is ready to supply European countries with natural gas.
“As a country that has the capacity to supply gas in large volumes, Iran is always willing to export natural gas to Europe via pipeline or in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG),” Zanganeh said.
Regardless of the gas supply issues between the European Union and Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, the Europeans are willing to diversify their sources of energy, he pointed out.
Iran, which sits on the world’s second largest natural gas reserves after Russia, has been trying to enhance its gas production by attracting foreign and domestic investment, especially in its South Pars gas field.
