Iran likely to get rid of its gas shortage
Iran increased gas production by 25 billion cubic meters (bcm), or 9 percent to 285 bcm, during the last fiscal year (ended March 21), but its domestic demand growth rate has increased as well. Almost the entire growth occurred in the second half of the year on phases 17-21 of the South Pars gas field, that Iran shares with Qatar. The total nominal capacity of these phases is 54 bcm and they are expected to become full operational in the first half of the current fiscal year. Mehdi Jamshidi Dana, dispatching director of National Iranian Gas Company told Shana news agency May 9 that during the last fiscal year, Iran increased gas delivery to power plants by 7 percent, while the same growth happened in gas supply to housing and industrial sectors. Iran should have increased gas usage in power plants by 14 percent to 65 bcm, but it supplied only 61 bcm due to gas shortage in the housing sector, especially because of cutting Turkmen gas flow to Iran since January 1, 2017 due to lo