Iran delays start of gas exports to Iraq due to conflict
ANKARA, September 10, 2014
Iran's scheduled start of gas exports to neighbouring Iraq will be delayed because of fighting between Islamic State militants and Iraqi troops, the Iranian Oil Ministry's official website Shana quoted Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh as saying.
"The upheaval in Iraq is delaying the start of the natural gas exports to Iraq as planned," Zanganeh said, without giving details or elaborating on the start date.
He said the pipeline runs through an area under the control of Islamic State.
Iran has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves after Russia.
Iran and Iraq signed an agreement in 2012 under which Tehran would start exporting natural gas to Iraq in 2014 to feed three power plants in Iraq. Under the deal, the pipeline would initially be able to export five million cubic metres of natural gas per day to Iraq. -- Reuters