"The country's 36,000- kilometer national gas grid that has the capacity to transfer 800 million cubic meters of gas per day will be expanded by 9,000 kilometers, at which point the network will acquire the capacity to transfer 1,100 bcm of gas per day," Hassan Montazer-Torbati was quoted as saying by Shana on Sunday.
According to the official, as the network is expanded, natural gas can be transferred with higher pressure without the need to add compressor stations.
Montazer-Torbati said the number of compressor stations, which currently stands at 79, will reach 130 in this period, according to Financial Tribune.
"Plans are in place to lay 1,200 kilometers of new pipeline per annum," he added, noting that the construction of every 1,000 kilometers of 56-inch pipeline requires $3 billion in investment.
The official further said that seven compressor stations should be built annually as the network grows, which will cost $110,000.
"As part of the venture will be funded by the National Iranian Gas Company's internal financial resources, the rest is expected to be bankrolled by the private sector as the company has already been running mega projects like the development of the Sixth Iran Gas Trunkline (IGAT-6) with the help of the private sector investment," he said.
IGAT-6 is a major component of the national gas grid which, according to Araqi, will have the capacity to transfer 110 million cubic meters of gas per day from South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf to southern and western regions.
"With the completion of more phases of South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf, liquid fuels such as diesel and mazut will be replaced by natural gas as power plant feedstock," he said, adding that the country has saved almost 50 billion liters of liquid fuel in the past three years.
Highlighting the fact that the national gas grid accounts for providing 70% of the country's energy, Montazer-Torbati said, "The more the network expands, the more prosperous the country will be not only in exporting the strategic fuel but also in swapping it with its neighboring states."
Domestic Expertise
Commenting on domestic contractors' capacity, the official said, "Iraqi gas officials are willing to draw on our experts' technical know-how to implement their projects."
"There are three pipeline manufacturing companies in the country that can meet the domestic demand to expand the grid," he added, noting that Iranian specialists have indigenized the technology to build two kinds of turbo compressors.
Montazer-Torbati stressed that NIGC as a state-run enterprise is allowed to get involved neither in pipe laying ventures nor in installation operations, as they should be handled by the private sector.
According to the official, concurrent with the gradual rise in the country's natural gas consumption, IGEDC has started a new round of surveys to increase the number of natural gas storage facilities.
“Natural gas is normally stored in Sarajeh and Shourijeh facilities in Qom and Khorasan Razavi provinces respectively, yet plans are underway to add five more storage units to secure gas supply stability, especially during the cold season,” Montazer-Torbati said.
"IGEDC is carrying out technical research on five new areas, one of which is Kashan Salt Dome in Isfahan Province," he concluded.