Iranian gas production has increased to 850mn m³/d (30bn cfd) but surging domestic demand is still resulting in shortages, threatening the stability of exports to neighboring Iraq. The supply deficit this winter is as much as 200mn m³/d (7 bn cfd), and Deputy Petroleum Minister Houshang Falahtian sees this widening to a massive 350mn m³/d (12bn cfd) over the next decade.
To counter the immediate shortages, Iran has requested energy-intensive industrial facilities, including steel plants, to halt operations. Longer term, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) managing director Mohsen Khojastehmehr late last year unveiled plans to invest $70bn to boost capacity to 1.5bn m³/d day (550bcm/year, 53bn cfd) by 2030 (MEES, 3 December 2021). Mr Falahtian subsequently put the figure higher still at $80bn, and Petroleum ministry media outlet Shana detailed key elements of the plan (see table and map). (CONTINUED - 558 WORDS)
