TEHRAN: Iran’s annual gas exports remain at a modest 20 billion cubic meters, with no imports recorded, despite having significant production capabilities, according to Saeed Tavakoli, Iran’s deputy oil minister and executive director of the National Gas Company. Tavakoli shared these insights at the 5th International Conference on New Technologies in the Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Industries in Tehran.

According to Trend News Agency, Tavakoli explained that while Iran possesses substantial gas production and potential, its export levels do not reflect this capacity. He highlighted that the National Gas Company operates 21 gas processing plants with a daily capacity of 1.075 billion cubic meters and manages 40,680 kilometers of natural gas transmission pipelines. The company is also capable of storing 3.4 billion cubic meters of gas annually, with underground storage facilities capable of extracting up to 30 million cubic meters daily.

Tavakoli further elaborated on the global and domestic significance of
natural gas. While natural gas accounts for 25 percent of the global gas portfolio, it constitutes 70 percent of Iran’s portfolio. Despite this, there is a noted disparity between gas production and consumption within the country. Iran is recognized as having the second-largest gas reserves globally, with an estimated 34 trillion cubic meters. Currently, 22 gas fields are operational in Iran, contributing to the production of approximately 1.07 billion cubic meters of rich gas daily.

Looking ahead, Iran’s state budget anticipates exporting 17 billion cubic meters of gas in the upcoming Iranian year, spanning from March 21, 2025, to March 20, 2026.