Pipeline blast halts Iran gas export to Armenia
Tehran Times Economic Desk

TEHRAN – Iran’s gas exports to Armenia was temporarily interrupted Wednesday due to an explosion which took place in the Armenian section of the conveyance pipeline.

On Wednesday morning the Armenian officials informed Iran that an explosion has occurred at some segment of the Iran-Armenia pipeline which lies inside Armenian border, according to SHANA news agency.

Iran will resume gas export to Armenia as soon as the Armenians repair the pipeline.

Iran started the exportation of natural gas to Armenia in May.

According to the deal signed in May 2004, Armenia will pay for the gas with electricity it produces at a Soviet-era nuclear power plant.

Based on the agreement, Iran is supposed to transfer three million cubic meters of gas per day to Armenia by the end of 2010, and from the beginning of 2011 raise this volume up to four million cubic meters per day.

The volume of gas exports could gradually rise to 6.3 million cubic meters per day.

In exchange, Armenia will transfer three kilowatt/hours of electricity for each cubic meter of the Iranian gas.

The Iran-Armenia pipeline has a diameter of 30 inches and runs for 113 kilometers from Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province to the Iran-Armenia border.

The two countries had originally agreed to finalize the project in January 2007, but the Armenians later said they were not ready

   Print Version     |        Back    |     Send To Friend