Iran to sell gas to Europe via Nabucco

Iran to sell gas to Europe via Nabucco18 Jul, 2007, 0333 hrs IST, REUTERS
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ANKARA: Iran will sell its gas to partner countries of the Nabucco gas pipeline, a project to pump Caspian gas to Europe via Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria, an Iranian official told a news conference in Turkey on Tuesday. The official also said a deal with Turkey to sell gas and develop Iran’s South Pars gas fields will not affect an existing agreement made with Austria’s OMV. “We will sell our gas through Turkey to Nabucco partner countries, including Austria,” said Iranian economic relations under-secretary Ahmed Noorani. The Nabucco pipeline, which is estimated to cost e 4.6 billion, is projected to carry 31 billion cubic metres of Caspian and Middle East gas to European markets. Recent developments between Gazprom and Eni to build a 30 bcm natural gas pipeline under the Black Sea and on to European consumers have sped up the Iranian-Turkish talks. Late last week Turkish energy minister Hilmi Guler signed a memorandum of understanding with Iranian officials for the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) to produce 20 billion cubic metres of natural gas in three phases in Iran’s South Pars gas field. The plans also include an agreement to use Iran as a transit country for Turkmen natural gas. OMV is in talks with Tehran to develop an area of the same gas field, build a liquefied natural gas terminal there and export the fuel. Noorani also dismissed objections US officials expressed on Monday to Iran’s plans, saying that the country has to review its own policies in the region. “The US thinks that it can make other countries in the region follow its lead,” he said.