Iranian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Gholam Abbas Arbab Khales announced the average daily volume of swap deliveries of Turkmen gas to Azerbaijan based on the agreements reached by Baku, Tehran and Ashgabat at the end of 2021. "Iran, according to the agreements, 4.5-5 million cubic metres of Turkmen gas per day on average transported for Azerbaijan (swap). Now the swap supplies have increased to 7.5 million cubic metres per day," the Ambassador told TASS. An informed source told Turan that this way daily deliveries reach the planned peak of 7.5-8 million cubic metres, but from November 2023, by agreement of the parties, the volume will be reduced again (to 4.5-5.0 million cubic metres per day). It has to be noted that since January 2022 Iran has been transiting gas from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan in line with the trilateral swap agreement signed on 28 November 2021 in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan). An informed source told Turan that nearly 860 million cubic metres of Turkmen gas worth $110.87 million was supplied to Azerbaijan via Iran in 2022. This volume was distributed to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) - about 1 million cubic metres per day through a hub in Julfa - but the bulk went through a gas compressor station in the border town of Astara for injection into Azerbaijan's gas storage. In early March 2023, it was agreed that daily deliveries would be up to 8 million cubic metres between March and October 2023. In November 2023, they will be reduced to 5 million cubic metres per day and in December to 4 million cubic metres per day." According to the source, the total annual supply could almost triple as compared to the 2022 figures. At that, "Azercontract" OJSC is responsible for purchase of this gas, while technical acceptance is carried out by SOCAR. The volumes are included in Azerbaijan's fuel and energy balance for 2023 and, along with Azerbaijan's production of its own gas, it allow the country to respond flexibly to domestic market requirements and fulfil its export obligations. "Volumes under the Turkmenistan-Iran-Azerbaijan swap agreement for 2024 are planned to be agreed by October 2023. Such co-operation has a positive effect," an informed source told Turan, adding that transit through Iran is not subject to international sanctions as its main task is to comply with Azerbaijan's domestic gas balance

Source: Turan News Agency