Iran Begins Construction For Natural Gas Pipeline

The Pars Pipeline will go from Turkey to Greece, through Italy and on to other European countries.

Construction has been started on a 1,740 kilometre pipeline from Iran through Turkey and on to consumers in Europe to carry Iranian gas, said the head of economic affairs at the Iranian embassy in Turkey on Friday.

Turkey, which has announced plans to produce an annual 20.4 billion cubic metres of gas in Iran's South Pars gas field and export it over its territory, already has one gas pipeline through which it imports 28 million cubic metres of gas daily.

"The Pars Pipeline will go from Turkey to Greece, through Italy and on to other European countries. Another route could go through Iraq and Syria and then go through the Mediterranean to Greece and Italy," said Ahmad Noorani, the Iranian embassy's chief of economic affairs.

Several natural gas pipeline projects are being planned to meet rising European consumption, among them the Nabucco pipeline project, conceived to decrease Europe's dependence on Russian gas, which makes up a quarter of its consumption.

Noorani said it was also looking at shipping its gas through the Nabucco pipeline, but no contracts have yet been signed.

Preliminary plans for Iran's planned 1,740 kilometre pipeline were signed in an agreement between Turkish and Iranian officials in 2007, but a final agreement has not yet been signed.

"Current talks are ongoing regarding the development of Aseloye phases 22, 23, and 24 in the South Pars field. Construction is continuing on the 1,740 kilometre pipeline with participation of (Turkey and Iran's) private sectors," he said.

So far only portions of the pipeline in Iran have been constructed.