Gas shortage grips Iran amid freezing temperature, more consumption

WANA (JAN 14) – Several Iranian regions are gripped by natural gas shortage as temperature has dropped, consumption has increased to a level that the National Gas Company is unable to meet all the demands.

The situation forced the officials in provinces such as Tehran, Zanjan, North Khorasan and East Azerbaijan to close governmental offices, universities, schools, and some other public facilities for today.

Earlier, the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) made a statement saying that households and businesses consumption of natural gas has reached to 700 million cubic meters (mcm) per day and is still increasing.

An Iranian couple takes a selfie during the first snowfall in a park in Tehran, Iran December 24, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

The statement says regarding a considerable drop in temperature as well as snow and the rainfall particularly in the northern and western parts of the country, the natural gas consumption has increased and about the 70% of country’s gas are currently being consumed in the northern provinces of Iran.

It adds that the power stations of those provinces consume liquid fuel and natural gas cannot be delivered to them. For the moment, the production and transportation of gas in the country is at the highest level, but at the same time the consumption of liquid gas is also at its height.

Earlier on January 10, Iran’s Minister of Petroleum Javad Owji said: “Our colleagues in the Ministry of Petroleum and the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) are on full alert on the production platforms and upstream and downstream fields, refineries and transmission lines, and the gas network is stable.”

People walk during the first snowfall in a park in Tehran, Iran December 24, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

However, he later said that the gas of those households which consume more than the defined standards will be cut off if needed.

Iran has one of the world’s largest gas reserves but mostly due to Western ‎and particularly American sanctions has been unable to ‎make the necessary investments and boost production.‎ The crisis is also the result of many years of ignorance  in promoting hydrocarbon energy sector.

According to the Iran’s Petroleum Ministry, the proved natural gas reserves of Iran are about 1,201 trillion cubic feet (34.0 trillion cubic metres) or about 17.8% of world’s total reserves, of which 33% are as associated gas and 67% is in non associated gas fields. It has the world’s second largest reserves after Russia.