TEHRAN – Iran’s daily production of natural gas currently stands at 674 million cubic meters (mcm), 24 mcm more than the figure for the same time last year, the spokesman of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said on Sunday.

The average gas production in the country stood at 650 mcm last year in the current month, Mohammad Asgari told Shana.

According to the official, the country’s average daily gas consumption is currently 540 mcm.

Back in April, the NIGC Managing Director Hasan Montazer Torbati announced that gas production, transfer, and distribution stayed stable in the country despite coronavirus outbreak.

The official also said that the country managed to have a stable gas production status despite the sanctions on its energy sector.

While elaborating on the company’s performance during the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19), Montazer Torbati said, “Sanctions could not impede our gas production and we had a good condition in gas supply in the past year.”

NIGC managing director further noted that the company will make every endeavor to ensure stable gas supply in the current year as well.

According to the official, of the total produced gas, some 25 percent goes to household consumption, 37 percent is supplied to the power plants, 30 percent is used in the industry sector, four percent used as CNG and four percent is for other consumptions.

With the hot season approaching, NIGC is taking necessary measures to increase gas production in order to keep the gas supply stable; since during the summer peak period the country’s electricity consumption rises and as a result gas consumption by the country’s power plants is also expected to increase.

Iran’s daily gas consumption hit a record high of nearly 600 million cubic meters (mcm) last year.

Over 93.6 percent of Iran’s population enjoys natural gas. Gas is supplied to 97 percent of people in the urban areas and 82 percent of people in the rural regions.

EF/MA