Iran's energy sector review

Armenia is keen to continue using Iranian gas. Turkey also wants to remain Iran's gas importer despite its appeal against Iran to the International Court of Arbitration over gas dispute in 2012 . Free Europe Radio/Radio Liberty quoted Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia, Armen Movsisyan on May 21 that Iran sells natural gas to Turkey and other nations (Armenia is the only importer of Iranian gas after Turkey) for $370 per thousand cubic meters. According to official data, Armenia imported 500 million cubic meters of gas from Iran in 2012 and bartered with electricity, while Turkey's gas imports from Iran were around 8.4 bcm. According to official statistics, Iran imported 4.5 bcm of gas from Turkmenistan during the last Iranian calendar year which ended on March 19, 2013, while the total gas export to Turkey during mentioned time was 8.4 bcm. The head of Iran National Gas Company Javad Owji said on April 10 that Iran earned $3.5 billion from exporting 8.4 bcm

Iran's exports to Caucasian Countries decreased during the first month of the new calendar year which started on March 2013, compared to the same period last year (1391). Iran's Custom Administration's latest published statistics show that exports to these three countries in first month of Iranian year decreased significantly compared to the previous month (February 20 to March 20) as well. Iran exported $45.520 million worth of non-oil goods to these countries between Mar 20 and Apr 20, 2013, indicating a 11 per cent decrease compared to the same period in the last year and a 32 per cent decrease compared to the previous month in the Iranian calendar year. Iran's non-oil exports table to three Caucasian countries, based on USD: Country Mar 20-Apr 20 2013 Mar 20-Apr 20 2012 Feb 20 to Mar 20, 2013 last solar year (1391) Two years ago (1390) Azerbaijan 30,905,100 37,163,023 43,561,440 504,093,357 464,410,161 Armenia 7,268,572

Iran's exports to Central Asian countries increased during the country's first month of the new calendar started on March 2013, compared to the similar period last year (1391). However Iran's Custom Administration's latest published statistics show export values in first moth of Iranian year decreased significantly compared to the previous month (February 20 to March 20). Iran exported $84,544,979worth of non-oil goods to these countries during Mar 20-Apr 20, 2013, indicating a 9.2 per cent increase compared to the same period in the last solar year and a 57 per cent decrease compared to the previous month in the Iran calendar. Iran's non-oil exports table to five Central Asia countries, based on USD: Country Mar 20-Apr 20 2013 Mar 20-Apr 20 2012 Feb 20 to Mar 20, 2013 last solar year (1391) Two years ago (1390) Turkmenistan 54,246,605 46,900,047 82,372,549 749,114,979 532,502,290 Tajikistan 16,338,693 20,745,356 30,2

Congressional leaders prodded the Obama administration on May 15 to tighten the squeeze on Iran's economy. There are several plans, which include banning gold export to Iran, preventing Iran from converting its forex currency reserves in abroad into dollar and euro, also enforcing full-cut over Iran's oil exports. Responding The Americans new attempts to increase pressure on Tehran, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on May 16 that managing the country without relying on oil export revenues and replacing oil revenues with revenues from mining reserves and agricultural exports is possible. Ahmadinejad said there are 187 million square meters of cultivable lands in Iran, while only 14 million square meters are used for cultivation. He went on to say that Iran's extraction level of mines is only 80 billion tons, while it can increase to 800 billion tons per year. Are Iran and International markets ready? Petroleum makes up 80 percent of Iran's total exp