Iran has commenced gas transit from Turkmenistan to Turkey under a swap agreement, enhancing gas supply in northeastern Iran and solidifying its role as a regional energy hub. Details of the deal remain pending, with previous reports highlighting the agreement’s significance in regional cooperation.
Iran has officially commenced the transit of gas from Turkmenistan to Turkey, as confirmed by its oil minister, Mohsen Paknejad. This operation is rooted in a gas swap agreement, where Iran receives gas from Turkmenistan in the northeast and delivers the equivalent volume to Turkey in the northwest. This initiative is expected to enhance the gas supply to the national grid customers in northeastern Iran, an area that suffers from low gas pressure due to its distance from production centers in the south.
Paknejad remarked that this agreement fortifies Iran’s standing as a significant regional energy hub and reflects the government’s commitment to broadening its energy diplomacy efforts. However, he acknowledged that the specifics of the gas swap deal involving Iran, Turkmenistan, and Turkey remain to be finalized. Although the agreement has begun its operational phase, certain details are pending public disclosure.
A report from Turkmenistan’s official media indicates that Turkmengas has established a deal with Turkey’s state-owned BOTAS, set to initiate gas exports via Iran starting March 1. Turkmenistan’s leadership, including Chairman Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, has engaged in discussions with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, underscoring the deal’s significance for regional energy collaboration. Additionally, a recent visit by Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Raşit Meredow to Tehran emphasized the importance of these discussions.
Despite this progress, no official announcements have clarified the volume or pricing of the gas supplies involved in the agreement. Earlier reports indicated that Turkmengas could utilize surplus capacity in an Iranian pipeline to convey approximately 4 billion cubic meters of gas annually to Turkey’s BOTAS. Iran has engaged in multiple gas swap agreements with Turkmenistan in recent years, facilitating gas supply to countries like Azerbaijan and Iraq.
In summary, Iran’s initiation of gas transit from Turkmenistan to Turkey marks a significant development in regional energy collaboration, improving gas supply in northeastern Iran and strengthening Iran’s role as an energy hub. While the agreement has operationalized, further details regarding its terms are yet to be disclosed. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance energy diplomacy and regional cooperation in gas supplies.
Original Source: www.presstv.ir
