Iran's energy sector review

The eight Iranian presidential candidates have unanimously criticized the current economic situation and President Ahmadinejad's administrative policies over the past eight years. They have claimed that they will pull the country out of runaway inflation, recession, unemployment, and currency devaluation. But, despite all the criticisms about Ahmadinejad's economic policies, the candidates have not yet given even general outlines of their economic programs. As the West intensifies sanctions against Iran, introducing outlook plans for restoring Iran's economy seems impossible. Although the sanctions have not changed the Ahmadinejad administration's approach, they have affected lives of a majority of Iranian people. Of course, there are pragmatic candidates who are optimistic about seeing positive results in the future. The legacy of Ahmadinejad's administration Saeed Jalili seems to be the flag bearer of the ruling system. The administration of President Ahm...

Statistics released on the Iran Custom Administration's Internet portal on May 28 indicates a falling import value under the non-oil export level during last two months. The country exported $6.137 billion worth of non-oil goods (Iran includes condensate in its non-oil exports category) during the first two months of the Iranian calendar year started on March 20, while imports were at $5.692 billion during same period. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on the government to enforce the 'resistant economy' due to imposed economic sanctions on Iran by western countries. Comparing the newly released statistics for about the first two months of the Iranian calendar year, with those published by the Customs Administration in May 2012 around the same period, there is an indication of a 32.47 per cent decrease in import value. Overcoming the export value on imports occurred during the first two months of the current solar year, while Iran had above $...

In the current Iranian calendar year's budget bill, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration has suggested increasing feed gas prices for petrochemical complexes by four times. The Mehr News Agency reported on May 27 that although the legislators have rejected the plan, the oil ministry officials believe that the feed gas prices for petrochemical complexes will be increased certainly. Natural gas is the main feedstock of the petrochemical industry. Currently the Iranian government sells natural gas to petrochemical complexes at the price of 700 rials per a cubic meter (about 3 cent). The suggestion comes as according to the official statistics of Iran Customs Administration, the country's petrochemical exports in the previous calendar year (which ended March 20) faced 33 per cent decrease compared to its preceding year, falling to 10 billion dollars from the previous figure of 15 billion. Iran averagely feeds 35 to 40 million cubic meters of natural gas per day to its ...

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...