TEHRAN – Iranian Oil Ministry aims to complete and bring into operation more than 1,000 kilometers of gas transmission pipelines by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (late March 2026), Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said, underscoring efforts to strengthen energy security during periods of peak demand.

Paknejad said the expansion of the gas transmission network is a central priority for the oil ministry, particularly under the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, as Iran seeks to enhance the stability and resilience of its energy supply.

“With the efforts of oil industry workers, especially the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), and by relying on domestic contractors and locally manufactured equipment, the construction and commissioning of more than 1,000 kilometers of gas transmission pipelines has been targeted by year-end,” he said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

The minister said accelerating the development and completion of new transmission pipelines, along with gas pressure boosting stations, is a key component of the government’s energy strategy, noting that pipeline infrastructure plays a critical role in reinforcing national energy security.

Paknejad highlighted several projects underway across the country, including the commissioning of more than 300 kilometers of gas pipelines in the western and southwestern corridor, and the completion and operation of over 170 kilometers of pipelines in northern provinces.

He also pointed to measures to increase gas transmission capacity to Ardebil province and improve network reliability in northwestern Iran through the construction of more than 50 kilometers of the Chelvand–Ardebil pipeline.

In southeastern Iran, the ministry has completed and brought online 154 kilometers of gas transmission pipelines in the southern part of Sistan-Baluchestan province, he said, as part of broader efforts to balance regional supply and demand.

Iran operates one of the largest natural gas networks in the world, but faces seasonal supply pressures due to rising domestic consumption, ageing infrastructure and limited investment.

Officials say expanding and modernizing transmission capacity is essential to maintaining stable supply during winter months, when household and industrial demand peaks.

EF/MA